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A Summary of Factoring Polynomials
Factoring The Difference of 2 Squares
Factoring Trinomials
Quadratic Expressions
Factoring Trinomials
The 7 Forms of Factoring
Factoring Trinomials
Finding The Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
Factoring Trinomials
Quadratic Expressions
Factoring simple expressions
Polynomials
Factoring Polynomials
Fractoring Polynomials
Other Math Resources
Factoring Polynomials
Polynomials
Finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
Factoring Trinomials
Finding the Least Common Multiples
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If a trinomial ax+bx + c will not factor by any other method, use trial and errorto fit it into the F O I L pattern:

1. Set up empty parentheses: .

If a,b,c are positive, then both signs are positive .

If b is negative but c is positive, then both signs arenegative .

If c is negative, then one sign is positive and the other isnegative .

2. Try the factors of a in front positions , and the factors of c in the back positions , until the resulting product is the orginaltrinomial.

Example: factor 2x- x - 10

step 1:

step 2:

step 3: The factors of 2 are 2 and 1; the factors of 10 are 10and 1 or 5 and 2:

(2x + 10)(x - 1) = 2x+ 8x - 10

(2x + 5)(x - 2) = 2x+x - 10

The second trial is almost correct; only the sign of themiddle term is wrong. So we change signs:

(2x - 5)(x + 2) = 2x-x - 10

The answer is (2x - 5)(x + 2) .