Factor [math]6x^2 – 7x – 5[/math], and then verify your results.
[list=1] [*]Determine any common factors of the given trinomial, if common factors exist. [*]Multiply [math]a[/math], the coefficient of the second-degree term, by [math]c[/math], the constant. [*]List all of the possible factors for the product of [math]a[/math] and [math]c[/math]. [*]Determine which set of factors has a sum that equals [math]b[/math], the coefficient of the first-degree term. [*]Rewrite [math]bx[/math], the first-degree term, as the sum of two terms. [*]Group the terms of the new polynomial according to their common factors, if common factors exist. [*]Factor out common factors from each set of grouped terms, and rewrite the expression from the previous step. [*]Use the Distributive Property to rewrite the expression as two factors. [*]Distribute the factors to verify that they result in the original trinomial. [/list] This applet is provided by Walch Education as supplemental material for the [i]UCSS Secondary Math II[/i] program. Visit [url="http://www.walch.com"]www.walch.com[/url] for more information on our resources.