Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring

 

Focus

 

Have you ever taken something apart because you wondered how it worked? Maybe your motivation was not to uncover the design of the object but to repair the object instead. Whether you are modifying, repairing, or just satisfying your curiosity, reducing something to its parts is a common strategy for problem solving.

 

This strategy lets you focus your attention on smaller parts of the problem or object. By figuring out the problem one piece at a time, you can figure out the whole problem.

 

In this lesson you will use the reduction strategy to solve quadratic equations. You will use factoring to break a quadratic equation into its parts.

 

Outcomes

 

At the end of this lesson you will be able to

• factor a given polynomial expression that requires the identification of common factors
  
  
• factor a given polynomial expression of the form ax2 + bx + c, a ≠ 0, and a2x2 − b2y2, a ≠ 0
  
  
• factor a given polynomial expression that has a quadratic pattern
  
  
• solve a quadratic equation of the form ax2 + bx + c = 0 by factoring

Lesson Questions

 

You will investigate the following questions:

• How can previous patterns of factoring be extended to polynomial expressions?
  
  
• How does the zero-product property relate to solving quadratic equations by factoring?

Assessment

Your assessment may be based on a combination of the following tasks:

• completion of the Lesson 2 Assignment (Download the Lesson 2 Assignment and save it in your course folder now.)
  
  
• course folder submissions from Try This and Share activities
  
  
• additions to Module 4 Glossary Terms and Formula Sheet
  
  
• work under Project Connection