Factor x² − 5x + 4
Worked out line by line the way a teacher would write it.
Answer
| Factored form | (x − 4)(x − 1) |
Step-by-step solution
3 steps-
1 Givenx^{2} - 5 x + 4
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2 Find two numbers whose product is c = 4 and whose sum is b = -5
The goal is to write x² + bx + c as (x + p)(x + q). Multiplying that out gives x² + (p + q)x + p·q, so p and q must multiply to c = 4 and add up to b = -5.
List the pairs of numbers whose product is 4, with their signs, and pick the pair whose sum is -5.
(-4) \cdot (-1) = 4,\qquad (-4) + (-1) = -5 -
3 Factored form\left(x - 4\right) \left(x - 1\right)
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