How do you factor the expression x^2 + 4x + 4?

1 Answer
Mar 16, 2016

color(green)( (x+2) (x+2) is the factorised form of the expression.

Explanation:

x^2 + 4x +4

We can Split the Middle Term of this expression to factorise it.

In this technique, if we have to factorise an expression like ax^2 + bx + c, we need to think of 2 numbers such that:

N_1*N_2 = a*c = 1*4= 4

AND

N_1 +N_2 = b = 4

After trying out a few numbers we get N_1 = 2 and N_2 =2

2*2 = 4, and 2+ 2 = 4

x^2 + color(green)(4x) +4 = x^2 + color(green)(2x + 2x) +4

= x (x+2) + 2 ( x +2 )

= (x+2) (x+2)

color(green)( (x+2) (x+2) is the factorised form of the expression.