Question

Write each trinomial in factored form (as the product of two binomials) by showing the steps used to factor.

Answer 1

You have the following trinomial given in the exercise:

$p^2-8p+7$

Notice that is is a trinomial because it is a polynomial that has three terms.

In order to factor it (as the product ot two binomials) you can find two numbers whose sum is -8 and whose sum is 7. These numbers would be -1 and -7, because:

$\begin{gathered} -1-7=-8 \\ \\ \\ (-1)(-7)=7 \end{gathered}$

Then, you can factor it

$(p-1)(p-7)$

The answer is:

$(p-1)(p-7)$