# Factored form question

• April 12th 2010, 01:56 PM
sinjid9
Factored form question
How do you make "-5(t^2)+10t+35" into factored form?
• April 12th 2010, 02:26 PM
pickslides
Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjid9
How do you make "-5(t^2)+10t+35" into factored form?

First you take out a common factor of $-5$ leaving

$-5t^2+10t+35 = -5(t^2-2t-7)$

Now I would complete the square inside the brackets.

$-5(t^2-2t-7)$

You take the coeffeicent of the linear term, half it then square it.

$\left( \frac{-2}{2}\right)^2 = (-1)^2 = 1$ giving

$-5((t^2-2t{\color{red}+1})-7{\color{red}-1})$

$-5((t-1)^2-8)$

$-5((t-1)^2-(\sqrt{8})^2)$

Now applying the difference of 2 squares and we are finished.

$-5(t-1-\sqrt{8})(t-1+\sqrt{8})$
• April 12th 2010, 02:38 PM
sinjid9
in the part:
http://www.mathhelpforum.com/math-he...3c07e363-1.gif
how do you know where to put the brackets that seperate (+1) and (-7)
• April 12th 2010, 02:58 PM
pickslides
In $-5(t^2-2t-7)$ I was looking for a new constant term that would help me make a perfect square. Finidng $+1$ as this term gave

$-5((\underbrace{t^2-2t{\color{red}+1}}_{\text{perfect square}})-7{\color{red}-1})$

I couldn't just throw away the $-7$ and to balance the equation I introduced an extra $-1$ from the $+1$ found.

A perfect square has the from of either

$a^2-2ab+b^2 = (a-b)^2$ or $a^2+2ab+b^2 = (a+b)^2$
• April 12th 2010, 03:33 PM
sinjid9
k one more question. If I were to make this into an equation like this
"h=-5(t^2)+10t+35" is it possible to make "h=-5(t^2)+10t+35" into a(x-s)(x-t)? Without graphing it?
• April 12th 2010, 03:56 PM
pickslides
Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjid9
"h=-5(t^2)+10t+35" is it possible to make "h=-5(t^2)+10t+35" into a(x-s)(x-t)? Without graphing it?

Do you mean $h=-5t^2+10t+35= a(t-b)(t-c)$

If so $h=-5t^2+10t+35=-5(t-1-\sqrt{8})(t-1+\sqrt{8})$ from post #2.