Question

Explain the first steps to factoring when the leading coefficient is 1.

a) List the factors of a that add up to b.
b) Split the c term to factor by grouping.
c) Find the factors of c that add up to b.
d) Multiply b and c, then find the factors.

Answer 1

In general, for a trinomial of the form x2+bx+c x 2 + b x + c you can factor a trinomial with leading coefficient 1 by finding two numbers, p and q whose product is c, and whose sum is b.