Question
Factor the trinomial completely. \[ x^{2}+6 x+8 \]
Ask by John Weber. in the United States
Jan 24,2025
Real Tutor Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
\[
(x + 2)(x + 4)
\]
Solution
To factor the quadratic trinomial \( x^{2} + 6x + 8 \) completely, follow these steps:
1. **Identify the coefficients:**
- The quadratic trinomial is of the form \( ax^{2} + bx + c \), where:
- \( a = 1 \)
- \( b = 6 \)
- \( c = 8 \)
2. **Find two numbers that multiply to \( c \) (which is 8) and add up to \( b \) (which is 6):**
- Consider the pairs of factors of 8:
- \( 1 \times 8 = 8 \) (sum is 9)
- \( 2 \times 4 = 8 \) (sum is 6)
- The pair \( 2 \) and \( 4 \) add up to \( 6 \), which is the coefficient of the middle term.
3. **Write the factored form:**
- Using the numbers \( 2 \) and \( 4 \), the trinomial can be factored as:
\[
(x + 2)(x + 4)
\]
**Final Answer:**
\[
(x + 2)(x + 4)
\]
Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team
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Extra Insights
To factor the trinomial \( x^{2}+6x+8 \), we need to find two numbers that multiply to the constant term (8) and add up to the coefficient of the linear term (6). The numbers 2 and 4 do just that! Thus, we can express the trinomial as: \[ (x + 2)(x + 4) \] So, the completely factored form of the trinomial \( x^{2}+6x+8 \) is \( (x + 2)(x + 4) \). And voilà, factoring made simple!