ACT Math : Factoring Polynomials

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Factoring Polynomials

Which of the following is a factor of the polynomial 3y2+14y-24?

 

Possible Answers:

y+6

4y-3

3y+4

y-6

3y-6

Correct answer:

y+6

Explanation:

The polynomial factors to (3y-4)(y+6).  (y+6) is the only one of those two options available as an answer.

 

 

Example Question #1 : Factoring Polynomials

Factor the polynomial : x3 + 27

 

Possible Answers:

(x +9) (x2 - 3x +9)

(x +3) (x2 - 3x +9)

(x +3) (x2 - 3x +3)

(x2 + 3) (x – 3x +9)

Correct answer:

(x +3) (x2 - 3x +9)

Explanation:

First, write as a sum of the cubes,     

 x3 + 33,  then factor : (x + 3) (x2 – 3x + 32).  Apply the exponent:

(x + 3) (x2 – 3x + 9)

 

 

Example Question #3 : Factoring Polynomials

Factor the polynomial: 2x2 + ab – 2b – ax2

 

Possible Answers:

(x2 – b) (2 - a)

(b - X2) (a + 2)

(x2 + b) (a - 2)

(x2 – 2) (a – b)

Correct answer:

(x2 – b) (2 - a)

Explanation:

2x2 + ab – 2b – ax2 = 2x2 – 2b – ax2 + ab           

Rearrange  terms

= (2x2 – 2b) + (- ax2 + ab)   Group

= 2(x2 – b) + a(-x2 + b)        Factor each group

= 2(x2 – b) – a(x2 – b)          Factor out  -a

= (x2 – b) (2 – a)                  Factor out x2 – b

 

 

Example Question #1 : How To Factor A Polynomial

Which of the following is a factor of the polynomial \displaystyle 2x^2 + 3x + 1?

 

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 2x - 1

\displaystyle x - 1

\displaystyle 2x - 2

\displaystyle x + 1

Correct answer:

\displaystyle x + 1

Explanation:

Factor the polynomial by choosing two values that when FOILed will sum to the middle coefficient, 3, and multiply to 2.  These two numbers are 1 and 2.

\displaystyle 2x^2 + 3x + 1 = 2x^2 + 2x+1x+1=2x(x+1)+1(x+1)= (2x + 1)(x + 1)

Only (x +1) is one of the choices listed.

 

 

Example Question #2 : How To Factor A Polynomial

Which of the following expressions is a factor of this polynomial?

\displaystyle 5x^{2}+3x-2

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 5x-2

\displaystyle 2x+5

\displaystyle x-1

\displaystyle 2x-5

\displaystyle 5x+2

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 5x-2

Explanation:

The polynomial factors into the following expression:

\displaystyle (5x-2)(x+1)

Therefore, the answer is \displaystyle 5x-2

Example Question #5 : Factoring Polynomials

Which of the following is equivalent to \displaystyle x^2 -x - 42?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (x + 14) (x - 3)

\displaystyle (x - 7) (x + 6)

\displaystyle (x - 14) (x - 3)

\displaystyle (x - 14) (x + 3)

\displaystyle (x - 7) (x - 6)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (x - 7) (x + 6)

Explanation:

You have two options for a problem like this. On the one hand, you can merely FOIL the answers until you find one that equals the value given in the equation. The other option is to factor it adequately from the beginning. This is not too hard. Since the middle term is so small, you know that the numeric portions of your factors will have to be nearly equal. Since we know that \displaystyle 42 = 6 * 7, this is very easy! Given that the last value is a negative number, you know that your two groups need to be a combination of addition and subtraction. 

Thus, your answer is: \displaystyle (x - 7) (x + 6)

Example Question #1 : Factoring Polynomials

Which of the following is equivalent to \displaystyle 2x^2 +14x + 12?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (x + 4)(2x + 3)

\displaystyle (2x + 4)(x + 3)

This cannot be factored.

\displaystyle (2x + 6)(x + 2)

\displaystyle (2x + 12)(x + 1)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (2x + 12)(x + 1)

Explanation:

You have two options for a problem like this. On the one hand, you can merely FOIL the answers until you find one that equals the value given in the equation. The other option is to factor it adequately from the beginning. For a question like this, it is a bit harder, given that there is a number in front of the first term. Now, given the signs in the original problem, you know that your groups will look like the following:

\displaystyle (x + ?) (2x + ?)

Now, you can do a little trick to make your life easier. Factor out the common \displaystyle 2:

\displaystyle 2x^2 +14x + 12 = 2(x^2 + 7x + 6)

The latter is very easy to factor:

\displaystyle (x^2 + 7x + 6) = (x + 6) (x + 1)

Now, you have:

\displaystyle 2x^2 +14x + 12 = 2(x + 6) (x + 1)

You can distribute the \displaystyle 2 into either group. For the answers given, the only correct value is:

\displaystyle (2x + 12)(x + 1)

Example Question #2 : Factoring Polynomials

Which of the following is equivalent to \displaystyle x^2 -11x - 60?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (x - 12)(x + 5)

\displaystyle (x - 15)(x + 4)

\displaystyle (x - 12)(x - 5)

\displaystyle (x - 10)(x + 6)

\displaystyle (x - 15)(x - 4)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (x - 15)(x + 4)

Explanation:

You have two options for a problem like this. On the one hand, you can merely FOIL the answers until you find one that equals the value given in the equation. The other option is to factor it adequately from the beginning. This is not too hard. You know that your groups will need to have one positive and one negative between them (this is because of the \displaystyle -60 at the end of your original polynomial). Now, you need to carefully pick your factors. It certainly is not \displaystyle 1 and \displaystyle 60; however, neither will \displaystyle 2 and \displaystyle 30 nor \displaystyle 3 and \displaystyle 20 work. Notice that \displaystyle 4 and \displaystyle 15 does the trick:

\displaystyle (x - 15)(x + 4)

Example Question #2 : Factoring Polynomials

Factor the following polynomial:
\displaystyle x^2 + 6x - 27

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (x+9)(x-3)

\displaystyle (x-9)(x+3)

\displaystyle (x+27)(x-1)

\displaystyle (x+2)(x+3)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (x+9)(x-3)

Explanation:

To factor the polynomial, factor the last term into two numbers that sum to the middle term. \displaystyle (9)*(-3) = -27 and \displaystyle 9 + -3 = 6 so we simply place those into parentheses to obtain:

\displaystyle (x+9)(x-3)

Example Question #6 : Factoring Polynomials

The polynomial \displaystyle x^2-4x+4 is equal to which of the following expressions.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (x-2)(x+2)

\displaystyle (x-4)^{2}

\displaystyle (x-4)(x+1)

\displaystyle (x-2)^{2}

\displaystyle (x-1)(x+4)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (x-2)^{2}

Explanation:

This question calls for us to factor the polynomial into two binomials.

Since the first term is \displaystyle x^2 and the last term is a number without a variable, we know that how answer will be of the form \displaystyle (x+ a)(x+ b) where a and b are positive or negative numbers.

To find a and b we look at the second and third term. Since the second term is \displaystyle -4x we know \displaystyle a+b=-4. (The x comes from a and b multiplying by x and then adding with each other). The +4 term tells us that \displaystyle a*b=4. Using these two pieces of information we can look at possible values. The third term tells us that 1 & 4, 2 & 2, -1 & -4, and -2 & -2 are the possible pairs.

Now we can look and see which one adds up to make -4.

This gives us the pair -2 & -2. 

\displaystyle (x-2)(x-2)=(x-2)^2

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