7-4 The Remainder and Factor

Theorems

Objectives:

1) Evaluate functions using synthetic substitution.

2) Determine whether a binomial is a factor of a

polynomial by using synthetic substitution.

When synthetic division is used to evaluate a function,

it is called synthetic substitution. Useful for evaluating
a function whose degree is greater than 2.

This is called the Remainder Theorem

Example:

6 2 0 -5 8 -7
 Your Turn:

Factor Theorem: The binomial x - a is a factor of f(x) if f(a) = 0 (if the remainder = 0).

Example: Show that x + 3 is a factor of

and find the other factors.

-3 1 6 -1 -30

"depressed polynomial"

Your Turn:
Show that x - 2 is a factor of
and find the other factors.

Your Turn:
The volume of the box is
Find the missing lengths.

x-4