Question

**MEDAL FOR BEST ANSWER!!**

Answer 1

Factor this expression completely, then place the factors in the proper location on the grid.

y^3 - 27

Answer 2

So, I'm guessing you don't know how to factor, right?

Answer 3

I know some of it but there are a few questions I cannot seem to get and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Answer 4

\(a^3 - b^3 = (a - b)(a^2 + ab + b^2)\)

Answer 5

Are you familiar with the factoring of the difference of two cubes shown above?

Answer 6

In your case, a = y, and b = 3.

\( y^3 - 3^3\)

Answer 7

No. I know the simpler factoring but that formula confuses me and I cannot figure out how to plug it in.

Answer 8

Look at the right side, where you have \((a - b)(a^2 + ab + b^2)\).
See it?
Plug in y for a and 3 for b.
That's all there is to it.
Then since you are actually dealing with a number, you can rewrite \(3^2\) as 9.

Answer 9

Where did you get the 3 at?

Answer 10

Here I'm doing it color coded.

\(\color{red}a^3 - \color{green}b^3 = (\color{red}a - \color{green}b)\color{red}(\color{red}a^2 + \color{red}a\color{green}b + \color{green}b^2) \)

Answer 11

Your problem is \(y^3 - 27\), right?
If this is the difference of two cubes, I can see that y cubed is a cube. Obviously, y cubed is the cube of y.
Is 27 a cube? If so, it is the cube of what?

Answer 12

Oh okay so because 27 is the cube of 3, that's where you got the 3 from?

Answer 13

Exactly.
Now we can rewrite it as the the difference of 2 cubes by replacing 27 with \(3^3\).

Answer 14

Okay so the answer would be (y-3)(y^2+3y+9)?

Answer 15

Here is your problem showing the cubes clearly, and color coded to match the formula above.

\(\color{red}y^3 - \color{green}3^3\)

Now we replace \( \color{red}a\) with \( \color{red}y\), and \( \color{green}b\) with \( \color{green}3\).

\(\color{red}y^3 - \color{green}3^3 = (\color{red}y - \color{green}3)\color{red}(\color{red}y^2 + \color{red}y\color{green}\cdot 3 + \color{green}3^2) \)

Answer 16

Can you help me with another?

Answer 17

The final answer is:

\( y^3 - 27 = (y - 3) (y^2 + 3y + 9) \)

You are correct.

Answer 18

Sure. Can you pls start a new post. I'll look for it.

Answer 19

Sure!