FACTORIZATION

Factors Of Algebraic Terms

Any divisor of an algebraic term is a factor of the term. To easily identify an algebraic term, expand it as a product of two different terms. Example: 10p = 1 x 10p = 2 x 5p = 5 x 2p = 10 x p Factors of 10p = 1, 2, 5, 10, p, 2p, 5p and 10p

Example: State the factors of each of the following algebraic terms. a) 3pq = 1 x 3pq = 3 x pq = p x 3q = q x 3p Factors of 3pq = 1, 3, p, q, 3p, 3q, pq, 3pq

b) 7mn = 1 x 7mn = 7 x mn = m x 7n = n x 7m Factors of 7mn = 1, 7, m, n, 7m, 7n, mn, 7mn

c) 5x 2 = 1 x 5x 2 =5xx = x x 5x 2 Factors of 5x 2 2 = 1, 5, x, 5x, x , 5x

Common Factors and HCF

To determine the common factors of two or more algebraic terms: a) list all the factors of the algebraic terms b) choose the common factors Example: 6y, 9y Factors of 6y = 1, 2, 3, 6, y, 2y, 3y, 6y Factors of 9y = 1, 3, 9, y, 3y, 9y Common factors = 1, 3, y, 3y HCF = 3y

Example: Find the common factors of each of the following. a) 3pq, 9qr Factors of 3pq = 1, 3, p, q, 3p, 3q, pq, 3pq Factors of 9qr = 1, 3, 9, q, r, 3q, 3r, 9q, 9r, qr, 3qr, 9qr Common factors = 1, 3, q and 3q HCF = 3q

b) 2mn, 6nt Factors of 2mn = 1, 2, m, n, 2m, 2n, mn, 2mn Factors of 6nt = 1, 2, 3, 6, n, t, 2n, 2t, 3n, 3t, 6n, 6t, nt, 2nt, 3nt, 6nt Common factors = 1, 2, n, 2n HCF = 2n

c) 10ef, 15f g Factors of 10ef = 1, 2, 5, 10, e, f, 2e, 2f, 5e, 5f, 10e, 10f, ef, 2ef, 3ef, 5ef, 10ef
Factors of 15f2g = 1, 3, 5, 15, f, g, f2, fg, 3f, 5f, 15f, 3g, 5g, 15g, 3fg, 5fg, 15fg, 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3f , 5f , 15f , f g, 3f g, 5f g, 15f g Common factors = 1, 5, f and 5f HCF = 5f

d) 6k, 12k Factors of 6k = 1, 2, 3, 6, k, 2k, 3k, 6k Factors of 12k = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, k, 2k, 3k, 4k, 6k, 12k Common factors = 1, 2, 3, 6, k, 2k, 3k, 6k HCF = 6k

Factorizing Algebraic Expressions

Factorization is a process of finding the factors of a term or algebraic expressions. For instance, ab + ac = a ( b + c)

Factorization is the opposite operation to expansion.

Expansion

a (b + c ) = ab + ac
Factorization

Factorization can be performed using (a) common factors (b) difference of two squares (c) perfect squares (d) group the term

Example 1: Factorise each of the following. 4. 6mn + 12mu 5mt 1. xy + xz = x(y + z) = 3m(2n + 4u 5t) 2. 6p 18q = 6(p 3q) 3. 8e 12ef = 4e(2 3f)

5.

km n k mn
2

2 2

= kmn (m k) 6. x y xy z xyz
2 2 2 2

= xy(x yz z )

* Check your answer by expansion.

Difference between two squares

a b = (a + b) (a b)
2 2

Example: 2 (a) x 16 2 2 =x 4 = (x + 4) (x 4)
(b) 4k 1 2 2 = (2k) 1 2 = (2k 1) = (2k + 1) (2k 1)
2

Example: Factorise each of the following. 2 1. x 25 2 2 =x 5 = (x + 5) (x 5) 2. 9y 1 2 2 = (3y) 1 = (3y + 1) (3y 1) 3. 25m 4n 2 2 = (5m) (2n) = (5m + 2n) (5m 2n)
2 2 2

4. 3e 12f 2 2 = 3(e 4f ) 2 = 3(e 2f) = 3(e 2f) (e + 2f)

6. (p 5) 9
= (p 5) (p 5) 9

=p 10p + 25 9
= p 10p + 16
2

5. (a + 3) 4 = (a + 3) (a + 3) 4 2 = a + 6a + 9 4 2 = a + 6a + 5 = (a + 5) (a + 1)

= (p 8) (p 2)

Perfect Squares
a + 2ab + b = (a + b) or 2 2 2 a 2ab + b = (a b)
Example: 2 (a) x + 6x + 9 2 2 = x + 2x(3) + 3 2 = (x + 3)
2 2 2

a=1 b=3

(b) x 8x + 16 2 2 = x + 2x(4) + 4 2 = (x 4)

a=1 b=4

Example: Factorise each of the following. 2 1. m + 6m + 9 2 2 = m + 2m(3) +3 2 = (m + 3) 2. 4x 12xy + 9y 2 2 = (2x) 2(2x)(3y) + (3y) 2 = (2x 3y)
2 2

3. 25a 20a + 4 2 2 = (5a) 2(5a)(2) + 2 2 = (5a 2)

4. 9r 30rt + 25t 2 2 = (3r) + 2(3r)(5t) +5t 2 = (3r 5t) 5. 3a + 6ab + 3b 2 2 = 3(a + 2ab + b ) 2 = 3(a + b) 6. 36u + 120uw + 100w 2 2 = 4(9u + 30uw + 25w ) 2 2 = 4(3u) 2(3u)(5w) + (5w) 2 = 5(3u + 5w)
2 2 2 2

Group the terms such that the new terms have a common term Example: (a) xa + xb + ya +yb = x(a +b) + y (a+b) = (a + b) (x +y) (b) ac 2ad + 3bc 6bd = a(c 2d) + 3b(c 2d) = (c 2d) (a + 3b)

Example: Factorise each of the following. 1. cd + ce + df + ef = c(d + e) + f(d + e) = (d + e) (c + f) 2. px py + qx qy = p(x y) + q(x y) = (x y) (p + q) 3. 3ac + ad + 6bc + 2bd = a(3c + d) + 2b(3c + d) = (3c + d) (a + 2b)

4. x + xy + 5x + 5y = x(x + y) + 5(x + y) = (x + y) (x + 5) 2 5. 6ab + 6b a b = 6b(a + b) 1(a + b) = (a + b) (6b 1) 6. 6ef + 2en 12mf 4mn = 2e(3f + n) 4m(3f + n) = (3f + n) (2e 4m) = 2(3f + n) (e 2m)

Factorizing Algebraic Fractions

A fraction is called an algebraic fraction if the numerator or the denominator or both are algebraic expressions. Example:

5x 16 2p 6 2x 2 y , , , 2 y 7q 7x 2 y

If both the numerator and denominator have common factors, the algebraic fraction can be simplified by cancellation. Example:
1

2x(x - y) x-y = 2 4xy 2y

Example:
Simplify each of the following. 1. 12pqr 6pq
12 x p x q x r = 6xpxq

2.

12p 2qr 4pq 2

12 x p x p x q x r = 4xpxqxq
3pr = q

= 2r

3.

mn - nt m2 t2

4.

(x + y) 2 x2 - y2

n(m - t) = (m - t) (m + t) n = m+t

(x + y) (x + y) = (x - y) (x + y) x+y = x-y

5.

12p 2 - 27 4p - 6

6.

3(4p 2 - 9) = 2(2p - 3)
3[(2p) 2 - 32] = 2(2p - 3)

16p 2q - 20p q 2r 8pq

4pq(4p - 5qr) = 8pq

4p - 5qr = 2

3(2p - 3)(2p + 3) = 2(2p - 3)

3(2p + 3) 6p + 9 = = 2 2