Math/7/ 3.

2/Factorising Algebra

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Factorising Using the Difference of Two Squares

Simplify: 1. √ 16 2. √ 49 3. √ 121 4. √ x 2

If x is positive, simplify: 5. √ 9 x 2 6. √ 64 x 2 7. (x – 2)(x + 2) 8. (x + 5)(x – 5)

Expand and simplify: 9. (7 – a)(7 + a) 10. (3m + 2n)(3m – 2n)

If the expression we want to factorise is the expand

difference of two squares, we can simply. (x – a)(x + a) x2 – a2
factorise
Example:
1. x2 – 9 = x2 – 32 2. 25a2 – b2 = (5a)2 – b2

= (x – 3)(x + 3) = (5a – b)(5a + b)

2. a4 – 64 = (a2)2 – 82 3. 36m2 – 49n2 = (6m)2 – (7n)2

= (a2 – 8)(a2 + 8) = (6m – 7n)(6m + 7n)

x2 – y2 = (x – y)(x + y)  Note: (x – y)(x + y) = (x + y)(x – y)

Factorising Quadratic Trinomials

Expand: 1. (x + 2)(x + 3) 2. (a – 1)(a + 3) 3. (m – 7)(m – 2)
2 2
4. (x + 5) 5. (a – 2)
Find two numbers a and b where:
6. a + b = 5 and ab = 6 9. a + b = 3 and ab = –4
7. a + b = –2 anf ab = –15 10. a + b = 7 and ab = –18
8. a + b = 9 and ab = 20

 An expression with three terms is called a trinomial.

 Expressions like x2 + 3x − 4 are called quadratic trinomials.
The highest power of the variable is 2.
 Factorising is the reverse of expanding.
(x + a)(x + b) = x2 + ax + bx + ab
= x2 + (a + b)x + ab
Using this result, to factorise x2 + 5x + 6
we look for two values a and b, where a + b = 5 and ab = 6.
These numbers are 2 and 3, so:
x2 + 5x + 6 = (x + 2)(x + 3)

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Example:
Factorise:

1. x2 + 7x + 10 2. m2 – 6m + 8 3. y2 + y – 12 4. x2 – 9x – 36 5. 3y2 + 15y – 72

If x2 + 7x + 10 = (x + a)(x + a) then a + b = 7 and ab = 10

Solutions:
1. f 2. 3. (–3) + 4 = 1
2+5=7 (–2) + (–4) = –6
2 x 5 = 10 (–2) x (–4) = 8 (–3) x 4 = –12

∴ x2 + 7x + 10 ∴ m2 – 6m + 8 ∴ y2 + y – 12

= (x + 2)(x + 5) = (m – 2)(m – 4) = (y – 3)(y + 4)

4. 5.
3 + (–12) = –9 (–3) + 8 = 5
3 x (–12) = –36 (–3) x 8 = –24
∴ x2 – 9x – 36 ∴ 3(y2 + 5y – 24)

= (x + 3)(x – 12) = 3(y – 3)(y + 8)

expand factorise trinomial quadratic trinomial

simplify square

1. Factorise each of these expressions.

a. x2 – 4 b. y2 – 100 c. 49 – y2 d. 9a2 – 4 e. 25p2 – a2

2. Factorise by first taking out a common factor.

a. 2x2 – 32 b. 4a2 – 100 c. 24a2 – 6b2 d. 8y2 – 128 e. 4x2 – 64

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3. Factorise each of these trinomials.

a. x2 + 4x + 3 b. x2 + 6x + 5 c. a2 + 6a + 8 d. y2 + 5y –24 e. q2 – 12q – 45

4. Factorise by first taking out a common factor (see example 5).

a. 2x2 + 6x + 4 b. 3x2 – 6x – 9 c. 2x2 + 16x + 32 d. 5x2 – 10x – 40 e. 3x2 – 30x – 33

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Factor each completely.

1. b2 + 8b + 7 6. b2 + 16b + 64 11. 3p2 − 2p – 5

2. n2 − 11n + 10 7. m2 + 2m − 24 12. 2n2 + 3n – 9

3. m2 + m − 90 8. x2 − 4x + 24 13. 3n2 − 8n + 4
4. n2 + 4n – 12 9. k2 − 13k + 40 14. 5n2 + 19n + 12

5. n2 − 10n + 9 10. a2 + 11a + 18 15. 2v2 + 11v + 5

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