Question

Factor the trinomial x^2 - 12x + 36.

a) (x - 6)(x - 6)
b) (x + 6)(x - 6)
c) (x - 6)(x + 6)
d) (x + 6)(x + 6)

Answer 1

To factor the trinomial x^2 - 12x + 36, we need to find two binomials that multiply together to give us the trinomial. The correct factorization is (x - 6)(x - 6).

Step-by-step explanation:

To factor the trinomial x^2 - 12x + 36, we need to find two binomials that multiply together to give us the trinomial. The first term of each binomial will be x, because x * x = x^2. The last term of each binomial will be -6, because -6 * -6 = 36. And since the middle term in the trinomial is -12x, the coefficients of the binomials will need to add up to -12. Therefore, the correct factorization is (x - 6)(x - 6). So, the answer is a) (x - 6)(x - 6).