Factor 4x^2-4x-8

Problem

4*x2−4*x−8

Solution

1. Factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) from all three terms, which is 4

4*(x2−x−2)

2. Identify the quadratic inside the parentheses, which is in the form a*x2+b*x+c where a=1 b=−1 and c=−2

x2−x−2

3. Find two numbers that multiply to c=−2 and add to b=−1

−2⋅1=−2

−2+1=−1

4. Write the factored form of the quadratic using the numbers found in the previous step.

(x−2)*(x+1)

5. Combine the results by placing the GCF back in front of the factored binomials.

4*(x−2)*(x+1)

Final Answer

4*x2−4*x−8=4*(x−2)*(x+1)

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