Educator

Factoring General Trinomials

• To factor a trinomial with a leading coefficient which is not 1, use trial and error to find the binomial factors.

• Remember that the signs of the constant terms of the factors are based on the signs of the linear and constant terms of the trinomial. Review the material in the previous section to understand these ideas.

• Keep in mind that not every trinomial factors into two binomial factors. Trinomials that do not are called prime trinomials.

• You can solve some quadratic equations by factoring the trinomial and then using the zero product property