8.8.6 Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to:

• Explain why multiplying binomials that are a sum and a difference, $(x+m)(x-m)$, results in a quadratic expression with no linear term.
• Rewrite a quadratic expression of the form $x^2-c$ into its factored form.

Here are the activities that helped you reach those goals:

• 8.8.1: Evaluating Expressions Using Mental Math
  • In this activity, you learned shortcuts to performing mental math that provided insight into strategies for factoring quadratic expressions.
• 8.8.2: Recognizing the Expanded Product of the Difference of Two Squares
  • In this activity, you learned to reverse the process using the difference of squares to find the factored form of particular quadratic expressions.
  • 8.8.2: Self Check
  • 8.8.2: Additional Resources
• 8.8.3: Factoring Quadratic Equations Without a Linear Term
  • In this activity, you continued to practice finding the factored form of quadratic expressions using the difference of squares. You also learned that some binomials of the form $x^2+c$ do not have a factored form.
  • 8.8.3: Self Check
  • 8.8.3: Additional Resources
• 8.8.4: Determining if an Expression Can Be Rewritten in Factored Form
  • In this activity, you determined whether a quadratic expression was factorable before finding its factored form using the skills learned in this lesson.

After these activities, you completed the following practice:

• 8.8.5: Practice