Murder Mystery

Who Dunnit? Factoring Edition!

Teacher Direction: Personalize the Murder Mystery document to your school

community! Edit the suspects, weapons, and/rooms to your preference.
Distribute the Murder Mystery to students individually or in groups. The murder
mystery includes multiple methods of factoring, so it can be used as a review or
even a fun way to assess students!

Student Direction: Students can work individually or in groups to complete the

murder mystery. Answer all 18 factoring questions on pages 2 and 3 of the
murder mystery. After factoring, look for the answer under the list of suspects,
weapons, or rooms and cross it out. At the end, there should be one suspect, one
weapon, and one room left. These are your answers!
Name: _____________________________________

Factoring Edition
There has been a murder on the premises!! The suspect factored INCORRECTLY! The horror! Your job is to
find out who did it, with what, and where! Factor each problem completely and find your answer on the front
page. Eliminate that suspect, location, or weapon that factored correctly to find out who the villain is that
committed the crime!

Suspects
Ms. _______ x (x−3)( x +2)
Mr. __________ (x +2)(x−2)(4 x−1)
Mr. ____________ (x−7)(x +5)
Ms. _____________ m(m2 +3)(m2−2)
Ms. ____________ 9( x+ 4)( x−4)
Ms. ___________ (4 x+ 5)(x −5)
Weapons
Calculator 2( x 2−25)
Ruler 5 x 2(4 x−5)(x−3)
Beaker 2(a+7)(a−6)
Textbook 2 d ( d+ 3 )2 (d−3)
Compass (8 x 2 +1)(x−8)

Rooms
Cafeteria 9 x 2 (3 x−10)(3 x+10)
Room ____ (3 x +2)(3 x +1)
Library ( x 2−6)( x 2 +2)
4th Floor Hallway (2 x 2+7)(3 x−8)
Main Office 10( x 3−196 x )
Guidance Office 3(x−7)(x+2)
Back Field 2 x (x+3)(x−2)
1. Factor Completely: x 2−2 x−35 2. The completely factored form of
4 3 2
2 d +6 d −18 d −54 d is

3. Factor Completely: 81 x 4−900 x 2 4. Factored completely, m5 +m3−6 m is equivalent

to

5. Factor Completely: 9 x 2+ 9 x+2 6. Over the set of integers, factor the expression
3 2
4 x −x +16 x−4 completely.

7. Factor Completely: 20 x 4−85 x 3 +75 x 2 8. Over the set of integers, factor the expression
4 2
x −4 x −12.

9. Factor Completely: 8 x 3−64 x 2 + x−8 10. Factor completely: x 3−x 2−6 x .

11. Factor Completely: 6 x 3−16 x 2 +21 x−56 12. Factor completely: a x 2−16 a

13. Factor Completely: 10 x 3−1960 x 14. Factor completely: 2 a2 +2 a−84 .

15. Factor Completely: 4 x 2−15 x −25 16. Factor completely: 2 x 2−50.

17. Factor completely: 3 x 2−15 x−42 18. Factor completely: 2 x3 +2 x 2−12 x

Who did it??

Suspect: _____________________

Weapon: _____________________

Room: _______________________
Name: Answer Key

Factoring Edition

There has been a murder on the premises!! The suspect factored INCORRECTLY! The horror!
Your job is to find out who did it, with what, and where! Factor each problem completely and
find your answer on the front page. Eliminate that suspect, location, or weapon that factored
correctly to find out who the villain is that committed the crime!

Suspects
Ms. _______ x (x−3)(x +2)
Mr. __________ (x +2)(x−2)(4 x−1)
Mr. ____________ (x−7)(x +5)
Ms. _____________ m(m2 +3)(m 2−2)
Ms. ____________ 9( x+ 4)(x−4)
Ms. ___________ (4 x+ 5)( x −5)
Weapons
Calculator 2(x 2−25)
Ruler 5 x 2(4 x−5)(x−3)
Beaker 2(a+7)(a−6)
Textbook 2 d ( d+ 3 )2 (d−3)
Compass (8 x 2 +1)( x−8)
Rooms
Cafeteria 9 x 2 (3 x−10)(3 x+10)
Room ____ (3 x +2)(3 x +1)
Library (x 2−6)(x 2 +2)
4th Floor Hallway (2 x 2+7)(3 x−8)
Main Office 10(x 3−196 x )
Guidance Office 3(x−7)( x+2)
Back Field 2 x (x+3)(x−2)
1. Factor Completely: x 2−2 x−35 2. The completely factored form of
4 3 2
2 d +6 d −18 d −54 d is
(x-7)(x+5)
2d(d+3)2(d-3)

3. Factor Completely: 81 x 4−900 x 2 4. Factored completely, m5 +m3−6 m is equivalent

to
9x2(3x+10)(3x-10)
m(m2+3)(m2-2)

5. Factor Completely: 9 x 2+ 9 x+2 6. Over the set of integers, factor the expression
3 2
4 x −x +16 x−4 completely.
(3x+1)(3x+2)
(4x-1)(x2+4)

7. Factor Completely: 20 x 4−85 x 3 +75 x 2 8. Over the set of integers, factor the expression
4 2
x −4 x −12.
5x2(x-3)(4x-5)
(x2-6)(x2+2)

9. Factor Completely: 8 x 3−64 x 2 + x−8 10. Factor completely: x 3−x 2−6 x .

(x-8)(8x2+1) x(x-3)(x+2)
11. Factor Completely: 6 x 3−16 x 2 +21 x−56 12. Factor completely: a x 2−16 a

(3x-8)(2x2+7) a(x+4)(x-4)

13. Factor Completely: 10 x 3−1960 x 14. Factor completely: 2 a2 +2 a−84 .

2(a+7)(a-6)
10x(x+14)(x-14)

15. Factor Completely: 4 x 2−15 x −25 16. Factor completely: 2 x 2−50.

2(x+5)(x-5)
(x-5)(4x+5)

17. Factor completely: 3 x 2−15 x−42 18. Factor completely: 2 x3 +2 x 2−12 x

3(x-7)(x+2) 2x(x+3)(x-2)

Who did it??

Suspect: _____________________

Weapon: _____________________

Room: _______________________