3.

3
SPECIAL PRODUCTS
AND FACTORING

Special Products and Factoring

Upon completion, you should be able to
Find special products
Factor a polynomial completely

Special Products
rules for finding products in a faster way
long multiplication is the last resort

Product of two binomials

ax b cx d acx

ad bc x bd

Examples:
2
1) (x + 5)(x + 6) x 11x 30
2) (2x 3)(x 7) 2x 2 17x 21
3) (3x 5)(2x + 3) 6x 2 x 15

Square of a binomial

a b a 2ab b
2
2
2
a b a 2ab b
2

Examples:
2
2
2
1) (x + 2y)
x 4xy 4y
2
2
2
4x 12xy 9y
2) (2x 3y)
4
2 3
6
2
3
2
3) (3w 4v ) 9w 24w v 16v

Product of sum and difference

a b a b a

Examples:
2
2
1) (3x + 5y)(3x 5y) 9x 25y
2
4
2
2
2) (2x+3y )(2x 3y ) 4 x 9y

Cube of a binomial

a b a 3a b 3ab b
3
3
2
2
3
a b a 3a b 3ab b
3

Examples:
1) (x + y2)3 = x3 3x 2 y 2 3xy 4 y 6
2) (2x 3y)3
= 8x3 3 2x

3y 3 2x 3y 3y

= 8x3 36 x 2 y 54 xy 2 27y 3

Product of a binomial and a trinomial

2
2
3
3
a b a ab b a b

a ba

ab b

Examples:
3
6
2
2
2
4
1) (x + y )(x xy + y ) x y

2) (2x 3y)(4x2 + 6xy + 9y2) 8x 3 27y 3

Square of a trinomial

a b c

a b c 2 ab 2 ac 2bc
2

Examples:
2
4
2
2
2
2
1) (x + y + w) x y w 2xy 2xw
2
2y w
2) (2x 3y + z)2 4x 2 9y 2 z 2 12xy
4xz 6yz

FACTORING
process of writing an expression as
product of its factors
reverse process of finding products

Factoring
A polynomial with integer coefficients is
said to be prime if it has no monomial or
polynomial factors with integer coefficients
other than itself and one.
A polynomial with integer coefficients is
said to be factored completely when
each of its polynomial factor is prime.

Factoring a common monomial factor

ab ac a b c
Examples:
1) 8x2 + 4x 4x

2x 1

2) x5 3x4 + x3 x 3 x 23x 1

Difference of two squares

a b a b a b
Examples:
2
2
2
1) 16 y 4 y 4 y 4 y
2

2u 3v 2u 3v 2u 3v
2)

3) (a+2b)2 (3b + c)2

a 2b 3b c a 2b 3b c

4u2

9v2

a 5b c a b c

Factoring trinomials
acx ( ad bc ) x bd ax b cx d
2

Examples:
1) x2 + 7x + 10 x 5 x 2
2) a2 10a + 24 a 6 a 4
3) a2 + 4ab 21b2 a 7 b a 3 b

Perfect square trinomials

a 2ab b a b
2

a 2ab b a b
2

Examples:
2
2
1) y 10y + 25 y 5
2
2
2) 16x + 8x + 1 4x 1
2
2
2
3) 9x 30xy + 25y 3x 5y

Sum and difference of cubes

a b a b a ab b

a b a b a ab b

Examples:
1) 27 x3 33 x 3 3 x 9 3x x 2
2
3
3 t
3

2
t 2t 4
2) t + 8 t 2
3) y6 2y3 + 1
4) x6 2x3y3 + y6

Factoring by GROUPING
Examples:
1) 10a3 + 25a 4a2 10
= 10a3 25a 4a 2 10
5a 2a 5 2 2a 5
2

2a 2 5 5a 2

Factoring by GROUPING
Examples:
1) 3xy yz + 3xw zw

Special Products and Factoring

Summary
Always look for a common monomial
factor, FIRST.
Factoring can also be done by grouping
some terms to yield a common polynomial
factor.

SOLVED EXERCISES

Find the following products.

3xy 2z 3xy 2z 3xy 2 z

2

9x y 4z
2

x 4 y 1x 4 y 1
2
2
2
2
x 4 y 1 x 16 y 8 y 1
x 16 y 8 y 1
2

Find the following products.

5b

2a 5b 5b

2 2

2 2

a 10a b 25b
4

2 2

a b 9

a b 2a b9 9
2

a 2ab b 18a b 81
2

a 2ab b 18a 18b 81

2

2 2

Find the following products.

2 x 5
3
2
2
2
2 x 32 x 5 32 x 5 5
3

8x 60 x 150 x 125
3

2 x 5
3
2
2
2
2 x 32 x 5 32 x 5 5
3

8x 60 x 150 x 125
3

Factor the following completely.

x 12 xy 35 y
2

x 7 y x 5 y
3x y z 6 x y z 3x yz
4

3x yz x y 2 xy 1
2

3x yz xy 1
2

Factor the following completely.

2b 6b 4b
3

2b 2b b 2
2

9 x 30 xy 25 y
2

3x 30 xy 5 y
2

3x 5 y

Factor the following completely.

7 x y 56 x y
4

7 x y x 8 y
3

5x 2 4x 2 x 2
3

x 2 5x 2 4x 2 1
2

Factor the following completely.

x 3x x 3 x 3x x 3
3

x x 3 x 3
2

x 3 x 1
2

2ax 3b 3bx 2a
2

2ax 1 3bx

2ax 2a 3bx 3b
2

1 x 1 (2a 3b)
2

Factor the following completely.

3x 27 x 60
4

3x 15 x 4
2

27x y 64x y
3

3 x y 4 x y
3

3 x y 4 x y
3

Factor the following completely.

a 1
4

a 1 a 1
2

a 1a 1 a 1
2

More EXERCISES for YOU!

Find the following products.

3xy 2z 3xy 2z
a b 1a b 1
x 4 y 1x 4 y 1
2
a 6

5b

2 2

Find the following products.

2x

3a

b 2

a b 9
3
2 x 5

4x

9y

2 3

Factor the following completely.

3x y z 6 x y z 3x yz
4

x 12 xy 35 y
2

9 x 30 xy 25 y
2

2b 6b 4b
3

7 x y 56 x y
4

Factor the following completely.

18x y 12 x y 3x y
4

5x 2 4x 2 x 2
3

x 3x x 3
3

2ax 3b 3bx 2a
2

72 17m m

Factor the following completely.

x y 15x y 26 xy
3

3x 27 x 60
4

4 x 44 x 121
2a

27x y 64x y
3

a 1
4

Factor the following completely.

x y 15x y 26 xy
3

3x 27 x 60
4

4 x 44 x 121
2a

27x y 64x y
3

a 1
4

END OF 3.3