Factorising Quadratics Flashcards

An expression in the form ax² + bx + c, where a, b, and c are constants and a ≠ 0.

The process of rewriting a quadratic expression as a product of two linear factors.

Always check for a common factor first before factorising further.

x² + 5x + 6 factorises to (x + 2)(x + 3).

A quadratic in the form a² - b² factorises to (a + b)(a - b).

Find two numbers that multiply to c and add to b, then use them to split the middle term.

Find two numbers that multiply to 2 × 3 = 6 and add to 7. Use these to split the middle term and factorise.

If c is negative, the two numbers must have opposite signs (e.g., x² - x - 6 = (x - 3)(x + 2)).

For ax² + bx + c, use the method of splitting the middle term or trial and error to factorise.

Expand the brackets to verify that the factorised form matches the original quadratic expression.