Learn How to Factor

Algebra student? Learn how to factor polynomials. Of course, if you don't know what the term "factor" truly means, you might want to continue reading:

Learning to factor is essentially learning how to take something apart. Whether you are trying to factor a number or a polynomial, you simply want to break it into factors - which are "pieces" of the original. The pieces can be put back together (by multiplying) to get you back to the original number or polynomial. Let's look at a simple example with numbers:

Factoring can be a little confusing at first, but don't worry GradeA can help. By creating a factor tree of numbers, you will be able to visualize the process much easier and it will help you to truly understand the process.

The factor tree will also help you to understand what is meant when a teacher says "factor completely."

The greatest common factor is the starting point for all algebra students who are learning how to factor. A only appliles when you have more than one term. The word "common" means shared by each term. By adding the word "greatest" it simply means the largest possible factor that all terms have in common. When you are factoring, taking out a GCF is often the first step!

Learn more about finding the greatest common factor from a polynomial.

Return to other free algebra help topics or practice some of your skills with GradeA's free algebra worksheets.

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