[br]In a previous lesson, you learned the process of factoring polynomials completely.[br][br][i][color=#0000ff]Going with the Flow:[/color][/i] https://www.geogebra.org/m/gtjh795t [br][br]The first step in any factoring problem is always to check for the [color=#0000ff]Greatest Common Factor (GCF)[/color] or [color=#0000ff]Common Monomial Factor (CMF)[/color]. Once the GCF/CMF has been factored out, the next step is to count the number of terms in the polynomial and look for any special factors: [color=#0000ff]Difference Of Two Squares (DOTS), Difference Of Two Cubes (DOTC), Sum of Two Cubes (SOTC), [/color]and[color=#0000ff] Perfect Square Trinomials (PST).[br][br][/color]In this lesson, you'll learn how to factor the [color=#0000ff]Difference of Two Squares[/color]—the most common special factor dealing with binomials. Take note that there's no such thing as [color=#ff0000]sum of two squares (x² + y²)[/color], so if you're asked to factor them, just write '[color=#0000ff]prime[/color],' meaning 'cannot be factored.'[br][br]The [color=#0000ff]Difference of Two Squares[/color] is factored as follows: [color=#0000ff]x[/color]²[color=#0000ff] - y² = (x + y)(x - y).[/color][br][br]The applet below serves as a drill for factoring the [color=#0000ff]Difference of Two Squares[/color]. Make sure to factor out the [color=#0000ff]GCF[/color] first before attempting to factor the [color=#0000ff]Difference of Two Squares[/color].

Below is a set of problems that require you to factor the [color=#0000ff]Difference of Two Squares[/color].[br][br]Check the Answer Box below for the correct answers.

In future lessons, you'll learn how to factor other special binomials. Hope you ENJOYED today's lesson.