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7.3E: Exercises

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Practice Makes Perfect

Recognize a Preliminary Strategy to Factor Polynomials Completely

In the following exercises, identify the best method to use to factor each polynomial.

Exercise 1
  1. 10q2+50
  2. a25a14
  3. uv+2u+3v+6
Answer
  1. factor the GCF, binomial
  2. Undo FOIL
  3. factor by grouping
Exercise 2
  1. n2+10n+24
  2. 8u2+16
  3. pq+5p+2q+10
Exercise 3
  1. x2+4x21
  2. ab+10b+4a+40
  3. 6c2+24
Answer
  1. undo FOIL
  2. factor by grouping
  3. factor the GCF, binomial
Exercise 4
  1. 20x2+100
  2. uv+6u+4v+24
  3. y28y+15
Factor Trinomials of the form ax2+bx+c with a GCF

In the following exercises, factor completely.

Exercise 5

5x2+35x+30

Answer

5(x+1)(x+6)

Exercise 6

12s2+24s+12

Exercise 7

2z22z24

Answer

2(z4)(z+3)

Exercise 8

3u212u36

Exercise 9

7v263v+56

Answer

7(v1)(v8)

Exercise 10

5w230w+45

Exercise 11

p38p220p

Answer

p(p10)(p+2)

Exercise 12

q35q224q

Exercise 13

3m321m2+30m

Answer

3m(m5)(m2)

Exercise 14

11n355n2+44n

Exercise 15

5x4+10x375x2

Answer

5x2(x3)(x+5)

Exercise 16

6y4+12y348y2

Factor Trinomials Using Trial and Error

In the following exercises, factor.

Exercise 17

2t2+7t+5

Answer

(2t+5)(t+1)

Exercise 18

5y2+16y+11

Exercise 19

11x2+34x+3

Answer

(11x+1)(x+3)

Exercise 20

7b2+50b+7

Exercise 21

4w25w+1

Answer

(4w1)(w1)

Exercise 22

5x217x+6

Exercise 23

6p219p+10

Answer

(3p2)(2p5)

Exercise 24

21m229m+10

Exercise 25

4q27q2

Answer

(4q+1)(q2)

Exercise 26

10y253y11

Exercise 27

4p2+17p15

Answer

(4p3)(p+5)

Exercise 28

6u2+5u14

Exercise 29

16x232x+16

Answer

16(x1)(x1)

Exercise 30

81a2+153a18

Exercise 31

30q3+140q2+80q

Answer

10q(3q+2)(q+4)

Exercise 32

5y3+30y235y

Factor Trinomials using the ‘ac’ Method

In the following exercises, factor.

Exercise 33

5n2+21n+4

Answer

(5n+1)(n+4)

Exercise 34

8w2+25w+3

Exercise 35

9z2+15z+4

Answer

(3z+1)(3z+4)

Exercise 36

3m2+26m+48

Exercise 37

4k216k+15

Answer

(2k3)(2k5)

Exercise 38

4q29q+5

Exercise 39

5s29s+4

Answer

(5s4)(s1)

Exercise 40

4r220r+25

Exercise 41

6y2+y15

Answer

(3y+5)(2y3)

Exercise 42

6p2+p22

Exercise 43

2n227n45

Answer

(2n+3)(n15)

Exercise 44

12z241z11

Exercise 45

3x2+5x+4

Answer

prime

Exercise 46

4y2+15y+6

Exercise 47

60y2+290y50

Answer

10(6y1)(y+5)

Exercise 48

6u246u16

Exercise 49

48z3102z245z

Answer

3z(8z+3)(2z5)

Exercise 50

90n3+42n2216n

Exercise 51

16s2+40s+24

Answer

8(2s+3)(s+1)

Exercise 52

24p2+160p+96

Exercise 53

48y2+12y36

Answer

12(4y3)(y+1)

Exercise 54

30x2+105x60

​​​​​Mixed Practice

In the following exercises, factor.

Exercise 55

12y229y+14

Answer

(4y7)(3y2)

Exercise 56

12x2+36y24z

Exercise 57

a2a20

Answer

(a5)(a+4)

Exercise 58

m2m12

Exercise 59

6n2+5n4

Answer

(2n−1)(3n+4)​​

Exercise 60

12y^2−37y+21

Exercise 61

2p^2+4p+3

Answer

prime

Exercise 62

3q^2+6q+2

Exercise 63

13z^2+39z−26

Answer

13(z^2+3z−2)

Exercise 64

5r^2+25r+30

Exercise 65

x^2+3x−28

Answer

(x+7)(x−4)

Exercise 66

6u^2+7u−5

Exercise 67

3p^2+21p

Answer

3p(p+7)

Exercise 68

7x^2−21x

Exercise 69

6r^2+30r+36

Answer

6(r+2)(r+3)

Exercise 70

18m^2+15m+3

Exercise 71

24n^2+20n+4

Answer

4(2n+1)(3n+1)

Exercise 72

4a^2+5a+2

Exercise 73

x^2+2x−24

Answer

(x+6)(x−4)

Exercise 74

2b^2−7b+4

Everyday Math

Exercise 75

Height of a toy rocket The height of a toy rocket launched with an initial speed of 80 feet per second from the balcony of an apartment building is related to the number of seconds, t, since it is launched by the trinomial −16t^2+80t+96. Factor this trinomial.

Answer

−16(t−6)(t+1)

Exercise 76

Height of a beach ball The height of a beach ball tossed up with an initial speed of 12 feet per second from a height of 4 feet is related to the number of seconds, t, since it is tossed by the trinomial −16t^2+12t+4. Factor this trinomial.

Writing Exercises

Exercise 77

List, in order, all the steps you take when using the “ac” method to factor a trinomial of the form ax^2+bx+c.

Answer

Answers may vary.

Exercise 78

How is the “ac” method similar to the “undo FOIL” method? How is it different?

Exercise 79

What are the questions, in order, that you ask yourself as you start to factor a polynomial? What do you need to do as a result of the answer to each question?

Answer

Answers may vary.

Exercise 80

On your paper draw the chart that summarizes the factoring strategy. Try to do it without looking at the book. When you are done, look back at the book to finish it or verify it.

​​​​​​Self Check

a. After completing the exercises, use this checklist to evaluate your mastery of the objectives of this section.

This table has the following statements all to be preceded by “I can…”. The first row is “recognize a preliminary strategy to factor polynomials completely”. The second row is “factor trinomials of the form a x ^ 2 + b x + c with a GCF”. The third row is “factor trinomials using trial and error”. And the fourth row is “factor trinomials using the “ac” method”. In the columns beside these statements are the headers, “confidently”, “with some help”, and “no-I don’t get it!”.

b. What does this checklist tell you about your mastery of this section? What steps will you take to improve?


This page titled 7.3E: Exercises is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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