How do you factor the trinomial t^2 + 6tf - 16f^2?

1 Answer
Mar 18, 2016

(t-2f)(t+8f)

Explanation:

If at^2+btf+cf^2 is the trinomial, we have to split b in two parts, which add up to b and whose product is ac.

Here, in t^2+6tf-16f^2, we will have to spit 6 in two parts, so that the product of the two is -16.

It is apparent that these are +8 and -2 and hence t^2+6tf-16f^2 can be written as

t^2+8tf-2tf-16f^2 or

= t(t+8f)-2(t+8f) or

= (t-2f)(t+8f)