Brackets & Factors

OCR Stage 6

What is 3(2 + 4) ?
3 lots of 2 + 4 = 3 lots of 6 = 18
x

12

= 18

What is 3(x + 4) ?
3 lots of x + 4
x

3x

12

= 3x + 12

What is 5(2x + 1) ?
5 lots of 2x + 1
x

2x

10x

= 10x + 5

What is 4(x - 2) ?
4 lots of x - 2
x

-2

4x

-8

= 4x - 8

What is x(x + 3) ?
x lots of x + 3
What is x
times x?

x2

3x

= x2 + 3x

What is 2x(x - 3) ?
2x lots of x - 3
x

2x

-3

2x2

-6x

= 2x2 6x

What is -x(2x + 3) ?
-x lots of 2x + 3
x

-x

2x

-2x2

-3x

= -2x2 3x

We call this process expanding a bracket

Factorising an expression
This is the reverse of expanding a bracket
Eg Factorise 4x + 2

What is a Factor?

A FACTOR of a number
is a number that divides
into the number
EXACTLY

Eg Factorise 4x + 2
What number divides
into BOTH parts of
the expression
EXACTLY?

2x +1

4x + 2

How could we check this?

= 2(2x + 1)

Eg Factorise 6x - 9
What number divides
into BOTH parts of
the expression
EXACTLY?

2x - 3

6x - 9

= 3(2x 3)

Eg Factorise x2 + x
What number divides
into BOTH parts of
the expression
EXACTLY?

+1

x2 + x

= x(x + 1)

Eg Factorise 8x2 4x
What number divides
into BOTH parts of
the expression
EXACTLY?

2x - 1

4x

8x2 4x

= 4x(2x - 1)

Eg Factorise 6 - 4x2
What number divides
into BOTH parts of
the expression
EXACTLY?

- 2x2

6 - 4x2

= 2(3 2x2)