Question

Factor the polynomial: please explain :(
p2+2p-24

Answer 1

Find two numbers that

a) multiply to -24 (last term)

AND

b) add to 2 (middle coefficient)

Answer 2

What two numbers did you find?

Answer 3

4 and 6?

Answer 4

close

Answer 5

one of them is negative

Answer 6

-6

Answer 7

-6 plus 4 = -2

but we want +2

Answer 8

so the 4 is negative


6 plus -4 = 6 - 4 = 2

Answer 9

so the two numbers are 6 and -4

which means

p^2 + 2p - 24

factors to

(p + 6)(p - 4)

Answer 10

notice how the factorization has the numbers 6 and -4 that we just found

Answer 11

so (p+6)(p-4) ?

Answer 12

yep

Answer 13

or (p-4)(p+6) since order of the factors doesn't matter

Answer 14

thank you for explaining it! :)

Answer 15

you're welcome