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Factorising question help

I'm confused about this question: Factorise 3x² -19x+20
I started to do my usual method for Factorising when the a term isn't 1:
1) C term times A term= 3x20=60
2) Find factor pairs of this new number: for 60 this would be 1 and 60, 2 and 30, 3 and 20, 5 and 12, 6 and 10.
3) This would be to see what pair adds to get the b term and work out which (if any) needs to be negative. This is where I am stumped. none of these pairs add to make 19.
Does this work? If it does, can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks!
Reply 1
Original post by Blackrose06
I'm confused about this question: Factorise 3x² -19x+20
I started to do my usual method for Factorising when the a term isn't 1:
1) C term times A term= 3x20=60
2) Find factor pairs of this new number: for 60 this would be 1 and 60, 2 and 30, 3 and 20, 5 and 12, 6 and 10.
3) This would be to see what pair adds to get the b term and work out which (if any) needs to be negative. This is where I am stumped. none of these pairs add to make 19.
Does this work? If it does, can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks!


Youve missed a factor pair 15,4.

Note that if all else faills you can always use the quadratic formula to get the roots and reverse engineer the factors from them.
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 2
Original post by mqb2766
Youve missed a factor pair 15,4

that would explain why it wasn't working 😅.
Thank you.
Reply 3
Original post by Blackrose06
that would explain why it wasn't working 😅.
Thank you.


NP. Note the previous comment about using the quadratic formula. Also note that when you list the factor pairs
1+60=61
2+30=32
3+20=23
5+12=17
...
You know they both have the same sign (negative, as the product is postive) so their sum must lie between 17 and 23, so there must be a factor pair beween 3,20 and 5,12 ...
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 4
Original post by mqb2766
Note that if all else faills you can always use the quadratic formula to get the roots and reverse engineer the factors from them.

I don't understand this.

Original post by mqb2766
Also note that when you list the factor pairs
1+60=61
2+30=32
3+20=23
5+12=17
...
You know they both have the same sign (negative, as the product is postive) so their sum must lie between 17 and 23, so there must be a factor pair beween 3,20 and 5,12 ...

That makes sense, I'll try this next time.
Reply 5
Original post by Blackrose06
I don't understand this.

If you chucked the quadratic=0 into the formula to get the roots youd get
x = (19 +/- 11) / 6 = 5, 4/3
so which corresponds to a factorisation
(x-5)(x-4/3) = 0
and noting the original quadratic was 3x^2 ... so multiply through by 3 gives
(x-5)(3x-4)
which is what you want.

Its laborious compared to spotting the factors, but its "turn the handle".
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 6
Original post by mqb2766
If you chucked the quadratic=0 into the formula to get the roots youd get
x = (19 +/- 11) / 6 = 5, 4/3
so which corresponds to a factorisation
(x-5)(x-4/3) = 0
and noting the original quadratic was 3x^2 ... so multiply through by 3 gives
(x-5)(3x-4)
which is what you want.

Its laborious compared to spotting the factors, but its "turn the handle".


OHHHHH thanks so much.

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