2. Algebra II Factoring Strategy 1

3. Learning these guidelines has been directly linked to greater Algebra success!! Part1Part 2Part 3Part 4 I.Always look for GCF First! II. Consider the Number of terms A. Two Terms 1. Difference of Squares 2. Difference of 3. Sum of 4. There is NOT a sum of Squares! B. Three Terms 1. Trinomial Square 2. Trial & /Reverse  Type x² + bx + c  Type ax² + bx + c C. Four or More Terms 1. Difference of Squares AGAIN 2. Factoring by III. Make Sure to Factor 2

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6. 1.Difference of Squares 2.Difference of Cubes A 3 – B 3 ↔(A – B)(A² + AB + B²) 3.Sum of Cubes A 3 + B 3 ↔(A + B)(A² - AB + B²) 5

7.  Numbers  Variables (powers that are multiples of ______) (x 1 ) 3 ↔x 3 (x 2 ) 3 ↔x 6 (x 3 ) 3 ↔x 9 etc. 6

8.  Z 3 – 1  8 – 27t 3 7

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10.  Reverse FOIL  First blanks filled with x  Determine signs from c  If c is negative, then one positive & one negative  If c is positive, then signs are the same look @ tiebreaker +,+if bx is positive -,-if bx is negative  List factors of c  Fill in last blanks with factors of c  Try till you get the right middle term bx 9

11.  y² + 8y + 15  d² - 14d + 45  t² - 15 – 2t  56 + x – x² 10

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13.  xy + xz + wy + wz  2xy – x 2 y – 6 + 3x 12