Factor x² − 16
Worked out line by line the way a teacher would write it.
Answer
| Factored form | (x − 4)(x + 4) |
Step-by-step solution
2 steps-
1 Givenx^{2} - 16
-
2 Difference of squares: a² − b² = (a − b)(a + b), with a = x and b = 4
(a − b)(a + b) = a² − ab + ab − b² = a² − b², because the middle terms cancel. So any square minus a square factors this way.
\left(x - 4\right) \left(x + 4\right)
Open this problem in the solver
Change a number or try your own problem: the solver works it out the same way, with a graph and hint mode.