Question

How do you factor these perfect square trinomials step by step?:
x^2-16x+256
4x^2-4x+1

Answer 1

the first one is not a perfect square?

Answer 2

Would it be considered a prime?

Answer 3

it is prime since it can be factored

Answer 4

What about the second one?

Answer 5

it is a perfect square trinomial,(2x-1)^2..

Answer 6

How did you get that?

Answer 7

you surely know the formulas:(a+b)^2=a^2+2ab+b^2
and (a-b)^2=a^2-2ab+b^2
in your example,you must guess which term when squared gives 4x^2 which is 2x which is now a
and which number when squared gives 1 which is 1,your b
now you still have to check if -2ab=-4x
-2(2x)(1)=-4x
so its (2x-1)^2