Maths assignment

Q1. What is the difference in a ‘factor’ and a ‘binomial factor’?  How are each factored out?

Q2. How is a negative number factored out?

Q3. The first step in factoring a polynomial is to look for a greatest common factor.  The next thing you should look at is the number of terms in the polynomial.  If there are four terms, you should consider ‘factoring by grouping’.  How is ‘factoring by grouping’ done?

Q4.  Can all polynomials be factored?

Q5. As mentioned in #5 in the questions for 6.1, after taking out the greatest common factor, you should look at the number of terms in the polynomial.  If there are three terms, you should consider factoring using the ac-method.  What is the ac-method?

Q6. Is it important to have the polynomial in quadratic form before starting the ac-method?  Why or why not?

Q7. Is factoring 3 terms different if the polynomial has more than one variable?

Q8. If the polynomial has three terms, it might be a perfect square trinomial.  Does this alter how you use the ac-method?  Why or why not?

Do you have to recognize that a polynomial is a perfect square trinomial in order to factor it?  Why or why not?

We have factored polynomials with four terms and with three terms.  Now we are looking at factoring polynomials with two terms.  Recall that the ‘difference of squares’ is obtained when we multiply conjugates (section 5.6 in our book).  So, when we factor a difference of squares, what should our answer be?  Why?

4.       What about the sum of squares?  How is it factored?

Is factoring different if the polynomial has more than one variable?