Factoring Flow Chart with Examples

Step 1: Check for Common Factors

Step 2: Look at the Number of Terms

2 Terms 3 Terms 4 Terms

Difference of Squares Simple Trinomial Factor by Grouping

(square root of each term) (Add) (Multiply) (always try grouping 3 terms and 1 term first )
4𝑥 2 − 25 𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 − 14 9𝑥 2 + 24𝑥 + 16 − 𝑚2
= (2𝑥 + 5)(2𝑥 − 5) = (𝑥 − 7)(𝑥 + 2) = (3𝑥 + 4)2 − 𝑚2
= (3𝑥 + 4 + 𝑚)(3𝑥 + 4 − 𝑚)
*find square roots *sum and product

Perfect Trinomial Square

(square root of 1st and last term)
4𝑥 2 − 20𝑥 + 25
= (2𝑥 − 5)2

*find square roots

Complex Trinomial

6𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 2
= 6𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 3𝑥 − 2
= 2𝑥(3𝑥 + 2) − 1(3𝑥 + 2)
= (3𝑥 + 2)(2𝑥 − 1)

*multiply in the sky

*sum and product and decomposition
Examples with explanations

a) 9𝑥 2 − 25 Step 1 check for common factors: no common factors so move to step 2

Step 2 look at # of terms (two terms so must be diff of squares)

= (3𝑥 + 5)(3𝑥 − 5) remember diff squares (two brackets with square root of
each term + in one bracket and −in the other bracket

b) 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 8 Step 1 check for common factors: no common factors so move to step 2

Step 2 look at # of terms (three terms so we need to go through the possibly
types of factoring under 3 terms: it is a simple trinomial because it does
not have a coefficient in front of 𝑥 2 term)

=(𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 + 2) note: (−4) + (2) = −2 and (−4) × (2) = −8

c) 2𝑥 2 + 16𝑥 + 30 Step 1 check for common factors: common factor of 2

= 2(𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 + 15) Step 2 look at # of terms (three terms so we need to go through the
possibly types of factoring under 3 terms: again this is a simple
trinomial because it does not have a coefficient in front of 𝑥 2 )

= 2(𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 + 3) Note: some students may treat this as a complex trinomial since at first
glance it appears to be a complex but once you factor out the 2 it
is a simple trinomial and much easier to factor

d) 9𝑥 2 − 30𝑥 + 25 Step 1 check for common factors: no common factors so move to step 2

Step 2 look at # of terms (three terms so we need to go through the

possibly types of factoring under 3 terms: Is it a simple trinomial
No, because of the 9 in front of 𝑥 2 term) Is it a perfect trinomial
Square? Yes because we can take square root of first and last
terms
= (3𝑥 − 5)2 Note: square root of first and last term and sign of middle term

e) 3𝑥 3 − 75𝑥 Step 1 check for common factors: common factor of 3x

= 3𝑥(𝑥 2 − 25)
Step 2 look at # of terms (two terms so must be diff of squares)
Note: if you skipped step 1 you could not take square roots
= 3𝑥(𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 5)
 f) 4𝑥 2 − 20𝑥 + 25 − 9𝑦 2 Step 1 check for common factors: no common factors so move to
step 2
Step 2 look at # of terms (4 terms so it is factor by grouping)
always try grouping of 3 terms and 1 first)

= (4𝑥 2 − 20𝑥 + 25) − 9𝑦 2 note: perfect trinomial square in brackets

= (2𝑥 − 5)2 − 9𝑦 2 this is now a difference of squares with (2𝑥 − 5)2 as
First term and 9𝑦 2 as second term

=[(2𝑥 − 5) + 3𝑦][(2𝑥 − 5) − 3𝑦] now drop inside brackets

= (2𝑥 − 5 + 3𝑦)(2𝑥 − 5 − 3𝑦)

g) 32𝑥 2 − 80𝑥 + 50 Step 1 check for common factors: common factor of 2

= 2(16𝑥 2 − 40𝑥 + 25)

Step 2 look at # of terms (three terms so we need to go through

the possibly types of factoring under 3 terms: Is it a
simple trinomial? No, because of the 9 in front of 𝑥 2
term) Is it a perfect trinomial Square? Yes, because
we can take square root of first and last terms.
= 2(4𝑥 − 5)2

h) 6𝑥 2 − 11𝑥 − 10 Step 1 check for common factors:no common factors so move to step 2

Step 2 look at # of terms (three terms so we need to go through the

possibly types of factoring under 3 terms:
Is it a simple trinomial? No, because of the 9 in front of 𝑥 2
Is it a perfect trinomial Square? No, because we can’t take
square root of first and last terms.
So, it must be a complex trinomial

Multiply in the sky 6 × −10 = −60 Need to find two number that add to -11 and multiply to -60

#’s are -15 and +4 so we can decompose the -11x as -15x+4x

6𝑥 2 − 11𝑥 − 10

=6𝑥 2 − 15𝑥 + 4𝑥 − 10 now that we have 4 terms we can use factor by grouping to factor 1st two terms
and last two terms
= 3𝑥(2𝑥 − 5) + 2(2𝑥 − 5) we can now factor out a (2𝑥 − 5) from each term
= (2𝑥 − 5)(3𝑥 + 2)