How do you factor completely 2x^2-8?

2 Answers
Mar 5, 2018

color(brown)(2 * (x+ 2) * (x - 2)

Explanation:

2x^2 - 8 = 2x^2 - (2*2*2) = 2x^2 - (2 * 4)

x@^2 - 4 is in the form a^2 - b^2 = (a+b) * (a - b)

:. => 2 * (x^2 - 4) = 2 * (x+ 2) * (x - 2)

Mar 5, 2018

2(x-2)(x+2)

Explanation:

"take out a "color(blue)"common factor of 2"

rArr2(x^2-4)

x^2-4larrcolor(blue)"is a difference of squares"

•color(white)(x)a^2-b^2=(a-b)(a+b)

rArrx^2-4=(x-2)(x+2)

rArr2x^2-8=2(x-2)(x+2)