Final answer:
To factor the quadratic expression x^2 - 8x + 15, we find the numbers -3 and -5 that multiply to 15 and add to -8, giving the factored form (x - 3)(x - 5).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to factor the quadratic expression x^2 - 8x + 15. To factor this, we need two numbers that multiply to give the constant term (15) and add up to give the coefficient of the x term (-8). We can find that the numbers -3 and -5 satisfy these conditions because (-3) * (-5) = 15 and (-3) + (-5) = -8. Therefore, the factored form of the quadratic expression is (x - 3)(x - 5).