D AY 137 β F ACTORING S PECIAL C ASES
E XAMPLE 1 Examine each expression. Is the expression a perfect-square trinomial? a) π¦ 2 + 8π¦ + 16 b) 3π¦ 2 + 16π¦ + 16 c) 4π¦ 2 β 3π¦π§ β π§ 2 d) 4π 2 + 12ππ + 9π 2 e) 9π§ 2 + 6π¦π§ + π¦ 2 f) 16π¦ 2 + 12π¦π§ + π§ 2
A NSWER a) Yes; π¦ + 4 2 b) No; 3π¦ 2 is not a perfect square. c) No; 4π¦ 2 and π§ 2 are perfect squares, but the sign in front of π§ 2 is negative, not positive. Also the middle term does not equal 2 2π¦ (π§) . d) Yes; 2π + 3π 2 e) Yes; 3π§ + π¦ 2 f) No, 16π¦ 2 and π§ 2 are perfect squares, but the middle term is not 2(4π¦)(π§) . The perfect-square trinomial pattern can be used to factor expressions in the form of π 2 + 2ππ + π 2 or π 2 β 2ππ + π 2 .
F ACTORING A P ERFECT -S QUARE T RINOMIAL For all numbers π and π . π 2 + 2ππ + π 2 = π + π π + π = π + π 2 , and π 2 β 2ππ + π 2 = π β π π β π = π β π 2 .
E XAMPLE 2 Factor each expression. a) π¦ 2 β 10π¦ + 25 b) 9π‘ 2 + 24π‘ + 16 c) 64π 2 β 16ππ + π 2 d) 49π§ 4 + 14π§ 2 + 1
A NSWER a) π¦ β 5 2 b) 3π¦ + 4 2 c) 8π β π 2 d) 7π§ 2 + 1 2 To check, substitute a number for the variable and evaluate. The are of a square is π¦ 2 + 6π¦ + 9 square units. If the length of one side is 5 units, find the value of π¦ by factoring.
D IFFERENCE OF T WO S QUARES When you multiply π + π π β π , the product is π 2 β π 2 . This product is called the difference of two squares. ο« ο ο½ ο ο« ο ( a b )( a b ) a ( a b ) b ( a b ) ο½ ο ο« ο 2 2 a ab ab b ο½ ο 2 2 a b
E XAMPLE 3 Examine each expression. Is the expression a difference of two squares? Explain a) 4π 2 β 25 b) 9π¦ 2 β 15 c) π 2 + 49 d) π 2 β 4π 2 e) π 3 β 9
A NSWER a) Yes; 2π 2 β 5 2 b) No; 15 is not a perfect a difference; it is a sum. c) No; π 2 + 49 is not a difference; it is a sum. d) Yes; π 2 β 2π 2 e) No; π 3 is not a perfect square.
A NSWER The difference-of-two-square pattern can be used to factor expressions in the form π 2 π 2 For Example, 4π 2 β 81π 2 fits the pattern The first term is a perfect square, 2π 2 The second term is a perfect square, 9π 2 The terms are subtracted. Thus, 4π 2 β 81π 2 = 2π + 9π 2π β 9π
F ACTORING A D IFFERENCE OF T WO S QUARES For all number π and π , π 2 β π 2 = (π + π)(π β π) .
E XAMPLE 4 Factor each expression. a) π¦ 2 β 4 b) 36π 2 β 49π 2 c) 16π¦ 2 β 25 d) π 4 β π 4
A NSWER a) π¦ + 2 π¦ β 2 b) (6π + 7π)(6π β 7π) c) (4π¦ + 5)(4π¦ β 5) d) π 2 + π 2 π 2 β π 2 = (π 2 + π 2 )(π + π)(π β π)
E XAMPLE 5 Find each product by using the difference of two squares. a) 31 β 29 b) 17 β 13 c) 34 β 26
A NSWER a) Think of 31 β 29 as (30 + 1)(30 β 1) . The product is 30 2 β 1 2 = 900 β 1 = 899. b) Think 17 β 13 as (15 + 2)(15 β 2) . The product is 15 2 β 2 2 = 255 β 4 = 211. c) Think of 34 β 26 as (30 + 4)(30 β 4) . The product is 30 2 β 4 2 = 900 β 16 = 884.
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