Educator

Factoring Perfect Squares

• The special rules for factoring a perfect square trinomial are a² + 2ab + b² = (a + b)(a + b) and a² - 2ab + b² = (a - b)(a - b).

• Learn to recognize perfect square trinomials in more complicated forms. This is an important skill you will need in later work in this course.

• Some polynomials require several methods to be factored completely. Always start by finding the Greatest Common Factor. Then try other methods.

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

• The square root property states that if x² = n, then x = √n or x = -√n. You can use this property to solve some quadratic equations.