2.05   Difference of Squares

              Perfect Square Trinomials

from Basic Algebra: One Step at a Time © 2002

P. 157-164

Dr. Robert J. Rapalje

Seminole Community College

Sanford, FL  32773

 

ANSWERS TO ALL EXERCISES ARE INCLUDED AT THE END OF THIS PAGE

 

To see selected solutions in Living C O L O R  click here!

 

REVIEW EXERCISES.        Use the F OI L method to multiply each of the following:

  1.  (x − 2)(x + 2)                                  2.  (x − 3)(x + 3)                                  3.  (x − 1)(x + 1)

 

 

   4.  (x − 6)(x + 6)                                  5.  (2x − 3)(2x + 3)                             6.  (3x − 5)(3x + 5)

 

 

   7.  (x + 2)2                                             8.  (x + 5)2                                         9.  (x − 5)2

      =(x + 2)(x + 2)                                     =                                                         =

      =____+____+____                              =                                                         =

 

 10.  (x − 7)2                                           11. (2x + 3)2                                      12.  (3x − 5)2

 

 

As in the previous section, in each of these exercises, you were given a product of two binomials.  Now, as before, the problem will be to reverse the process, and factor the difference of two squares or factor a perfect square trinomial

EXERCISES.     In each of the following, factor the difference of squares:

 1.        x2  −  9                                      2.   x2  −  16                                         3.        x2  −  49

     (x − ___)(x + ___)                             (x − ___)(x + ___)                                (x − ___)(x + ___)

 

 4.        x2  −  64                                    5.   x2  −   100                                      6.         x2  −  81

      (x − ___)(x + ___)

 

 7.        x2  −  25                                    8.   x2  −  121                                       9.        x2  −  144   

 

 

10.       x2  −  169                                 11.   x2  −  a2                                        12.       x2  −  b2

 

 

13.       4x2  −  9                                   14.   9x2  −  16                                     15.       16x2  −  49

     (2x − ___)(2x + ___)                      (3x − ___)(3x + ___)                          (___ − ___)(___+___)

 

16.       25x2  −  64                               17.   9x2  −  100                                   18.       49x2   −   81

 

 

19.       9x2  −  25y2                              20.    49x2  −  121y2                             21.       25x2  −  144a2   

 

 

22.       16x2  −  81b2                           23.    9y2  −  169x2                               24.       36y2  −  49x2

 

 

Don't forget that the first step in any factoring problem is to factor the common factor first.  This means that each of the following exercises requires two steps.  Again, this is the "factoring two-step."

25.       9x2  −   9                                  26.       3x2  −  12                                 27.       5x2  −  45

         9(               )                                          3(               )                                     ___(                )

        9(        )(         )                                    3(         )(         )                                   ___(        )(         )

 

28.       4x2  −   64                                29.       4x2  −   100                              30.       8x2   −   72

  

 

 

31.       25x2  −   25                              32.       7x2  −   700                              33.       x3   −   16x   

 

 

 

34.       3x3  −   75x                              35.       5x3  −   80x                              36.       2x3  −  50x

 

 

 

37.       16x4  −  16x2y2                       38.       9y4  −  9x2y2                             39.       81y4  −  9x2y2

 

 

 

40.       64x4  −  4x2y2                          41.       12y4  −  12x2y2                         42.       79y4  −  79x2y2

 

  

Factor each of the following perfect square trinomials:

43.       x2 + 4x + 4                              44.       x2 + 6x + 9                              45.     x2 + 2x + 1

       =(        )(        )

       = (          )2

 

46.       x2 + 12x + 36                          47.        x2 + 14x + 49                         48.    x2 + 20x + 100

 

 

 

49.       x2 − 8x + 16                            50.       x2 − 4x + 4                              51.    x2 − 10x + 25

 

 

52.       x2 − 12x + 36                          53.       x2 − 18x + 81                          54.    x2 − 24x + 144

 

 

 

Remember to factor the common factor first:

55.       5x2 − 20x + 20                        56.       2x2 − 20x + 50                        57.    3x2 + 6x + 3

            ____(                )

            ____(        )(        )

            ____(          )2

    

58.       3x2 − 60x + 300                      59.       6x2 − 36x + 54                         60.    4x2 + 32x + 64

 

 

  

61.       x3 + 4x2 + 4x                           62.       x3 − 12x2 + 36x                       63.    9x3 − 18x2 + 9x

 

 

  

64.       6x4 − 36x3 + 54x2                    65.    12y4 − 48y3 + 48y2                     66.     2y4 − 28y3 + 98y2

 

  

 

In the next exercises, remember that sum of squares, such as x2+9 or x2+4, does NOT factor by this method.

 67.           x4  −  16                                                       68.       x4   −   1           

            = (x2 − ___)(x2 + ___)

            = (x − ___)(x + ___)(x2  +  ___)

 

69.           x4   −   81                                                     70.      x4   −   y4           

 

 

 

71.          81x4   −   16y4                                               72.     16x4   −    81

 

 

 

73.          x4 + 10x2 + 9                                    74.       x4 + 13x2 + 36    

 

 

 

75.          x4 − 13x2 + 36                                  76.       x4 − 5x2 + 4  

 

 

 

77.          x4 − 29x2 + 100                                78.       y4 + 5y2 − 36   

 

  

 

79.          y4 − 8y2 + 16                                     80.       y4 − 18y2 + 81

 

 

  

 ANSWERS 2.05

p.157:   1. x2 - 4;     2. x2 - 9;    3. x2 - 1;     4. x2 - 36;      5. 4x2 - 9;    6. 9x2 - 25;  7. x2+4x+4;   

              8. x2+10x+25;  9. x2-10x+25;  10. x2-14x+49;   11. 4x2+12x+9;   12. 9x2-30x+25.

 

p. 158-163:      (NOTE:  Factors may be given in any order!)

  1. (x-3)(x+3);  2. (x-4)(x+4);   3. (x-7)(x+7); 4. (x-8)(x+8);  5. (x-10)(x+10);        

              6. (x-9)(x+9);   7. (x-5)(x+5);  8. (x-11)(x+11);   9. (x-12)(x+12); 10. (x-13)(x+13);

            11. (x-a)(x+a);  12. (x-b)(x+b); 13. (2x-3)(2x+3); 14. (3x-4)(3x+4);  15. (4x-7)(4x+7);

16.(5x-8)(5x+8); 17. (3x-10)(3x+10); 18. (7x-9)(7x+9); 19. (3x-5y)(3x+5y);          

            20. (7x-11y)(7x+11y); 21. (5x-12a)(5x+12a); 22. (4x-9b)(4x+9b); 23. (3y-13x)(3y+13x);

            24. (6y-7x)(6y+7x); 25. 9(x-1)(x+1);    26.  3(x-2)(x+2);    27. 5(x-3)(x+3);

28. 4(x-4)(x+4);  29. 4(x-5)(x+5); 30. 8(x-3)(x+3);  31. 25(x-1)(x+1);  32. 7(x-10)(x+10);

            33. x(x-4)(x+4);  34. 3x(x-5)(x+5); 35.  5x(x-4)(x+4);   36. 2x(x-5)(x+5);

37. 16x2(x-y)(x+y);  38.  9y2(y-x)(y+x);  39. 9y2(3y-x)(3y+x);  40.4x2(4x-y)(4x+y);

            41. 12y2(y-x)(y+x); 42. 79y2(y-x)(y+x); 43. (x+2)2; 44. (x+3)2; 45. (x+1)2;    46. (x+6)2;

            47. (x+7)2; 48. (x+10)2; 49. (x-4)2; 50. (x-2)2; 51. (x-5)2; 52. (x-6)2; 53. (x-9)2; 54. (x-12)2;

55. 5(x-2)2; 56. 2(x-5)2 ; 57. 3(x+1)2; 58. 3(x-10)2 ; 59. 6(x-3)2; 60. 4(x+4)2; 61. x(x+2)2 ;

            62. x(x-6)2; 63. 9x(x-1)2; 64. 6x2(x-3)2 ; 65. 12y2(y-2)2 ; 66. 2y2(y-7)2; 67. (x-2)(x+2)(x2+4); 

            68. (x-1)(x+1)(x2+1); 69. (x-3)(x+3)(x2+9); 70. (x-y)(x+y)(x2+y2) ;

            71. (3x-2y)(3x+2y)(9x2 +4y2); 72. (2x-3)(2x+3)(4x2+9); 73. (x2+9)(x2+1); 74. (x2+9)(x2+4);

75. (x-3)(x+3)(x-2)(x+2);   76. (x-2)(x+2)(x-1)(x+1); 77. (x-5)(x+5)(x-2)(x+2);  

            78. (y2+9)(y-2)(y+2);   79. (y-2)2(y+2)2 80. (y-3)2(y+3)2.

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Dr. Robert J. Rapalje Altamonte Springs Campus
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