Factoring 5: Factoring trinomials with a value of ‘a’ that is greater than 1

In this lesson, the decomposition method is introduced whereby trinomials in general form with an a value greater than 1 can be factored. The approach is to first find any GCFs and remove them, multiply the first and last terms to find a desired target value, and then determine which combination of integers results in the value of b using addition or subtraction. This video relies on prior knowledge of factoring by grouping.

Learning Goals:

  • To be able to factor polynomials that contain decomposable second degree trinomials
Related Textbook Pages:

Visions, Science, Student Book Volume 1, Secondary Cycle Two, Year Two, Les Editions CEC Inc, 2009, pp 148-177

Additional Resources:
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