Question

This is a practice assignment. This is factoring quadratics, algebra.

Answer 1

6. Factor:

$a^2-a-6$

Middle number is -1 and the last number is -6.

If we want to factor, that means we want something in the form:

(a+_)(a+_)

To determine which number go in the blanks, we need two numbers that:

*Add together to get -1.

*Multiply together to get -6.

These numbers would be 2 and -3:

-> 2+(-3)=-1

-> 2*(-3)=-6

Then, filling the blanks, the factor of this expression would be:

$(a+2)(a-3)$