Identifying Factoring Types

Determine which factoring method(s) you would use for each of the following. Check all that apply.

Factor Theorem
Decomposition
Sum of Cubes
Difference of

Difference of
Replacement

(Trinomial)
Trinomial
Factoring

Grouping

Grouping
Common
Variable

Shortcut
Squares

(Pairs)
Cubes
Expression

A 36x2 – 25
B (x – 3)2 + 5(x – 3) – 14
C Sin2X – 11SinX + 24
D x3 + 125
E 3x(2x + 5) – 7(2x + 5)
F ln2x – 25
G 4x8 – 13x4 + 10
(2x + 3)4(4x + 1)7 – (2x + 3)5(4x +
H
1)6
I x3 + 3x2 – 4x – 12
J 5ab + 10ac – 3a
K 64x2 – 49y4
L x3 – x2 – 9x + 9
M 4x3(x – 9)5 + 2x4(x – 9)4
N 27x6 + 8y3
O x4 – 15x2 – 16
P x4 + 3x3 + x2 – 3x – 2
Q Tan3X – 1
R x20 – y12
S x3 + 5x2 + 2x – 8
T 4ab + 6ac – 2b2 – 3bc
U x2 + 6x + 9 – 25x4
V 5(1110x) – 10(119x)
W 2x2 – 9x + 10
X 6x3 + 7x2 – 1
 Sum & Difference of Cubes
Factor each of the following:

a) x3 + 8

b) 8x3 – 27

1 1 1 3 3 3 9 9 9 27 27 27
PF :  1, , , , 3 , , , , 9 , , , , 27 , , ,
2 4 8 2 4 8 2 4 8 2 4 8

R(1)  19 4x 2  6x  9
R(3)  189 2x  3 8x 3  0x 2  0x  27 8x 3  27
3  (2x  3)(4x 2  6x  9)
R   0 8x 3  12x 2
2
12x 2  0x
12x 2  18x
3
x 18x  27
2
2x  3 18x  27
2x  3  0 0

Sum of Cubes Difference of Cubes

a3 + b3 = a3 – b3 =
Factor each of the following:

a) 64x3 – 2197 b) 1000Sin3X + 343Cos3X

c) log35 (8x)  1 d) 53x + 6 – 43x

Factoring Practice
1. Factor each of the following:
a) 125x3 – 8 b) Tan3X + Sin3X c) ln3x + 343 d) 512(93x) – 1

2. Factor each of the following as fully as possible:

a) 6a2 + 7a + 2 i) 3(b + c) + 4a(b + c) + a2(b + c)
b) 1 – 4Tan2X j) 4y2 – 12xy + 9x2 – 64
c) x3 – 3x2 – 4x + 12 k) (2r – 3s)2 – (r + 3s)2
d) 23x + 3(22x) + 3(2x) + 1 l) 5Cos4X + 4Sin2X – 5
e) 8Sin3X – 12Sin2X + 6SinX – 1 m) (a + 1)2 + 2(a + 1)
f) 16log8x – 1 n) d5 + 27d2
g) r4 + 4r3 + 6r2 + 4r + 1 o) ln2x + 8lnx + 16 – 4x2
h) 56x – 2(54x) + 52x p) (2x + 5)6(3x – 1)10 – (2x + 5)5(3x – 1)11

3. The product of Anson, Benjamin, and Carson’s ages is 6x3 – 23x2 – 73x – 30. Anson is the oldest and
Carson is the youngest. If the sum of their ages is 66, how old is each person?

Answers
1a] (5x – 2)(25x2 + 10x + 4) 1b] (TanX + SinX)(Tan2X – TanXSinX + Sin2X) 1c] (lnx + 7)(ln2x – 7lnx + 49)
1d] [8(9x) – 1][64(92x) – 8(9x) + 1] 2a] (3a + 2)(2a + 1) 2b] (1 – 2TanX)(1 + 2TanX) 2c] (x – 3)(x + 2)(x – 2) 2d] (2x + 1)3
2e] (2SinX – 1)3 2f] (4log4x + 1)(2log2x + 1)(2log2x – 1) 2g] (r + 1)4 2h] 52x(5x + 1)2(5x – 1)2 2i] (b + c)(a + 3)(a + 1)
2j] (2y – 3x – 8)(2y – 3x + 8) 2k] 3r(r – 6s) 2l] (5Cos2X + 1)(CosX + 1)(CosX – 1) 2m] (a + 1)(a + 3) 2n] d2(d + 3)(d2 – 3d + 9)
2o] (lnx – 2x + 4)(lnx + 2x + 4) 2p] -1(2x + 5)5(3x – 1)10(x – 6) 3] Anson = 38, Benjamin = 23, Carson = 5

Answers to Table on First Page

A] (6x + 5)(6x – 5) B] (x + 4)(x – 5) C] (SinX – 8)(SinX – 3) D] (x + 5)(x2 – 5x + 25) E] (2x + 5)(3x – 7) F] (lnx + 5)(lnx – 5)
G] (x4 – 2)(4x4 – 5) H] 2(x – 1)(2x + 3)4(4x + 1)6 I] (x + 3)(x + 2)(x – 2) J] a(5b + 10c – 3) K] (8x – 7y2)(8x + 7y2)
L] (x + 3)(x – 3)(x – 1) M] 6x3(x – 6)(x – 9)4 N] (3x2 + 2y)(9x4 – 6x2y + 4y2) O] (x + 4)(x – 4)(x2 + 1) P] (x + 1)2(x – 1)(x + 2)
Q] (2TanX – 1)(4Tan2X + 2TanX + 1) R] (x5 + y3)(x5 – y3)(x10 + y6) S] (x – 1)(x + 2)(x + 4) T] (2a – b)(2b + 3c)
U] (5x2 + x + 3)(-5x2 + x + 3) V] 5(119x)(11x – 2) W] (2x – 5)(x – 2) X] (x + 1)(2x + 1)(3x – 1)