Description
1. What does it mean to factor?
2. What is the first step to factoring? What method do you use to factor four terms? What method(s) do you use to factor three terms? What method do you use to factor two terms?
3. When solving a quadratic equation by factoring, what property is used? (Hint: Why do you factor and set each factor to zero?)
EXPERT SOLUTION ANSWER
Factoring is the process of breaking a number or an expression down into its prime factors. For example, the number 12 can be factored into 2 x 2 x 3. The expression x2 + 5x + 6 can be factored into (x + 2)(x + 3).
