Question

Please help I’m stuck!!

When do you have to split up the middle
term in a trinomial when factoring?

Answer 1

You typically split up the middle term if your a-value (the coefficient on x^2) is not 1.

For example, I'd split up the middle term on 3x^2 + 4x – 4,

but not on x^2 + 4x - 12.

Technically you could on that second one, but you're making a lot of extra and unecessary work for yourself.

Does that make sense?