Factor Trinomial
About this exercise
Splitting a quadratic expression into a product of two brackets.
Example problems
A few of the problems this exercise asks. The printable worksheet holds ten fresh ones.
- Factor the trinomial: x² + 9x + 18
- Factor the trinomial: x² − 2x − 8
- Factor the trinomial: x² + 10x + 24
- Factor the trinomial: x² + 5x + 6
Try it yourself first — open a section below only if you get stuck.
How to solve it
Hunt for two numbers whose product is the constant term and whose sum is the coefficient of x. The signs narrow the hunt: a positive product with a negative sum means both numbers are negative.
Worked example
For x squared - 5x + 4, the pair -1 and -4 multiplies to 4 and adds to -5, giving (x - 1)(x - 4).
Common mistake
Settling for a pair that fits the product but not the sum. Both conditions must hold at once, and expanding your brackets confirms it in seconds.