Answer:
m
2
+
8
m
+
12
=
(
m
+
2
)
(
m
+
6
)
Explanation:
Notice that
2
+
6
=
8
and
2
×
6
=
12
So:
m
2
+
8
m
+
12
=
(
m
+
2
)
(
m
+
6
)
In general, we find:
(
m
+
a
)
(
m
+
b
)
=
m
2
+
(
a
+
b
)
m
+
a
b
So if you have a monic quadratic (one that has a leading coefficient of
1
) to factor, typically you are looking for a pair of factors of the constant term with sum or difference equal to the middle coefficient.
