Factorising

• Factorising Methods


  • Common Factor
  • Difference of Two Squares
  • Trinomials
  • Completing the Square
  • Simplifying Algebraic Fractions
• Common Factor


  Factorising using a common factor involves finding a factor that is common to each part of an expression and rewriting the expression with the common factor outside of the brackets
• Common Factor


  1. Identify the common factor in the expression

  2. Divide each term by the common factor

  3. Write the expression in factorized form
• Difference of Two Squares

  An expression where one square number is subtracted from another square number
• Difference of Two Squares


  • w²-4
  • x²-9
  • 16-y²
  • 25-z²
  • b²-a²
• Difference of Two Squares Rule

  b²-a² = (b - a)(b + a)
• Trinomials


  A quadratic trinomial is an algebraic expression with three terms
• Trinomials


  • 2x² + 3x - 4
  • 5x² + 3x + 7
  • x² - 2x - 24
• Completing the Square


  A method used to solve quadratic equations, especially those that do not easily factorize
• Completing the Square


  1. Half the coefficient of x in the middle term (b), square it, and add it inside the brackets

  2. Half the coefficient of x in the middle term (b), square it, and subtract it outside the brackets

  3. Write the expression in completed square form