Question

How do you factor `125x^3 + 8y^3`?

Answer 1

`125x^3+8y^3`

`=(5x)^3+(2y)^3`

`=(5x+2y)((5x)^2-(5x)(2y)+(2y)^2)`

`=(5x+2y)(25x^2-10xy+4y^2)`

using the standard factorisation:

`(a^3+b^3) = (a+b)(a^2-ab+b^2)`