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Algebra II
Factoring Strategy
1
THE GENERAL STRATEGY FOR FACTORING
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 &

Type x² + bx + c

/Reverse
Type ax² + bx + c
C. Four or More Terms
1. Difference of Squares AGAIN
2. Factoring by
III. Make Sure to Factor
Learning these guidelines has been directly linked to greater Algebra success!!
Part1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
2
3
4
1. Difference of Squares
2. Difference of Cubes
A3 – B3
↔
(A – B)(A² + AB + B²)
3. Sum of Cubes
A3 + B3 ↔
(A + B)(A² - AB + B²)
5


Numbers
Variables (powers that are multiples of ______)
(x1)3
↔ x3
(x2)3
↔ x6
(x3)3
↔ x9
etc.
6

Z3 – 1

8 – 27t3
7
8



Reverse FOIL
First blanks filled with
Determine signs from
x
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

y² + 8y + 15

d² - 14d + 45

t² - 15 – 2t

56 + x – x²
10
11

xy + xz + wy + wz

2xy – x2y – 6 + 3x
12