Question

u^2 - 3uv - 54v^2
Factors out to (u+6v)(u-9v)
What are the steps involved?

Answer 1

AHah no problem, I'm taking a practice test that gives the answers without explanation, there's 3 or 4 I haven't been able to solve and I'm pretty rusty with factoring.

Answer 2

well thats the main idea with any factoring problem
Find 2 numbers whose product is the constant
And sum is equal to the middle coefficient

Answer 3

try this one:
x^2 - 40x + 300
what are some factors of 300?

Answer 4

10, 20

Answer 5

but 20*10 = 200 NOT 300

Answer 6

*30

Answer 7

haha there you go
now pay attention to the sign
they have to add up to -40

Answer 8

Yeah I haven't done it since high school =/

Answer 9

-40
-10, 4

Answer 10

-10 and 4 multiply to -40 not ADD to -40
go back to 10,30
they add up to +40, how can we change 10,30 so they add up to -40

Answer 11

Goddamitt.
-10+-10+-10+-10

Answer 12

lol
??

Answer 13

Oops, I didn't see your other post. It would just be -10+-30

Answer 14

yes good job....sorry i was away
so the factored form would be
(x-10)(x-30)
each of your problems will use the same process for the most part

Answer 15

Thank you.
Now that we have 6 and 9, how do we factor the variables?