Question

The area of a rectangular pool is given by the trinomial 2y^2+y-3. What are the possible dimensions of the pool? Use factoring.

Answer 1

they want you to factor
2y^2 + y -3

i would expect
(2y ) (y )
now try combinations of 1 and 3 for the 2nd number.

Answer 2

what do you get when you multiply (2y + 1) (y - 3)

Answer 3

factoring "undoes" the multiplying and it helps to know how to do both.
(2y + 1) (y - 3)
use FOIL it stands for First 2y *y
Outer 2y * -3
Inner 1*y
Last +1*-3

put it together 2y^2 -6y +y -3
combine -6 y + y (you get -5 y)
2y^2 -6y -3

nope, that did not work.

Answer 4

@phi is setting you up to succeed, just look at what the example is. You have \[2y^{2}+y-3\] so in order to get your first term you must have (2y )(y ), what can you multiply together to get the last term -3 that also adds together to get a +1?