Answer:
( x + 1 ) ( x + 4 )
Explanation:
Hi there! I'm glad I was able to help you factor the polynomial, as shown:
x^2 + 5x + 4
Let's take a close look at the polynomial to start.
The middle number is 5, and the last number is 4. We can also think of these numbers as the only whole numbers in the polynomial, because, well, they are!
To factor, we want to come up with an "answer" in the following form:
( x + _ ) ( x + _ )
Now, we can sort of determine which numbers fit in the blanks. Don't worry, I'll explain! This is often the difficult part.
We need to find TWO different numbers that will add up to give me 5, but multiply by each other to give me 4. In our case, the two numbers are 1 and 4, since 1 + 4 = 5, and 1 * 4 = 4! Get it?
Finally, we can plug in our numbers into the blanks.
So, we are left with ( x + 1 ) ( x + 4 )!
I hope this helped you! Leave a comment below if you think I've made a mistake, or if I could help you with anything else! ^^