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Find the factored form of 4x2– x - 14.

1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

(4x + 7)(x - 2)

Explanation:

Synthetic division can be a very useful tool in factoring, although there are certainly other methods.

-14 is the constant term; its factors here MAY include ±2 and/or ± 7.

Let's use synthetic division to determine whether or not 2 is a root of the quadratic:

2 / 4 -1 -14

8 14

--------------------

4 7 0

Because the remainder here is zero (0), we have verified that 2 is a root and (x - 2) is a factor of 4x^2 - x - 14. Note that the remaining coefficients, 4 and 7, indicate that the other factor is 4x + 7.

Thus, 4x^2– x - 14 = (4x + 7)(x - 2)

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