Factoring Quadratic Expressions Using Different Methods

Factoring Quadratic Expressions
Using Different Methods

By Chloe M, Ruth Anne K and Maddie S

Quadratic Expressions:
Here is an example of a quadratic expression.

This is the formula of a quadratic equation:

Five is not a quadratic equation.

This is a factored quadratic equation:

So how do you get from point A to point B?

FACTORING!

There are 2 methods to factoring:

The

"BOX"

Method

and the

"X"

Method

Let's discuss the box method first:

1: Draw a box and divide it evenly into 4 squares

2: Multiply "a" (x ) and "c" (4), thus telling you the number 4x . This number tells you what 2 numbers you need to put into the bottom left and top right.

3: Find 2 numbers that multiply together to make 4x and add to get the middle term (4x).

and

4. Put x into the top left and 4 into the bottom right.

5. Find what the terms across from each other have in common.

The answer will be
(x+2)(x+2)

Now let's review the method.

"X"

1: draw an X.

2: Multiply 'c' (x ) and 'a' (4) and put the term (4x ) into the top.

3: Put the middle term (4x) into the bottom.

4: Find what 2 numbers multiplies to get the top and adds to get the bottom.

5: Substitute those 2 terms as the middle term in the original expression:

x +2x+2x+4

6: Take the first 2 terms and the last 2 terms, find out what goes into each number and take it outside the parenthesis.