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Factoring Polynomials:
Classwork/Practice Packet

Lesson 1: Using the Greatest Common Factor and the Distributive pg. 3
Property to Factor Polynomials
Lesson 2: Solving Literal Equations by Factoring pg. 5

Lesson 3: Finding Factors, Sums, and Differences pg. 6

Lesson 4: Factoring Trinomials of the Form 𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 pg. 7

Lesson 5: Factoring Binomials that are the Difference of Two Perfect pg. 9
Squares
Review: WHAT AM I? HOW DO I FACTOR? pg. 10
More Review pg. 11
Lesson 6: Prime Polynomials pg. 13

Lesson 7: Factoring Expressions Completely pg. 14

Factoring Expressions with Higher Powers

Lesson 8: Factoring Trinomials of the form 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐, where 𝑎 ≠ 1 pg. 15

Review More Practice pg. 16-30

Factoring with Pizzazz worksheets
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Lesson 1: Factoring using the Greatest Common Factor

Factor each expression by factoring out the GCF.

1.) 𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥𝑧 2.) 9𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 3.) 21𝑏 − 15𝑎

4.) 27𝑦 3 + 18𝑦 2 5.) 12𝑥 2 − 16𝑥 6.) 28𝑥 5 − 7𝑥 2

7.) 2𝑥 2 𝑦 − 2𝑥𝑦 8.) 8𝑚3 + 16𝑚2 𝑛 9.) 4𝑏 3 + 2𝑏 2 + 8𝑏

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Factor each expression by factoring out the GCF.

10.) 𝑥(𝑥 + 2) + 7(𝑥 + 2) 11.) 2𝑥(𝑥 + 4) − 3(𝑥 + 4)

12.) 4𝑥(𝑥 − 3𝑦) − 2(𝑥 − 3𝑦) 13.) 5𝑎(2𝑎 − 3𝑏) + 6(2𝑎 − 3𝑏)

14.) (3𝑛 + 1)(4𝑛 + 1) + (𝑛 + 2)(4𝑛 + 1) 15.) (2𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 4) − (𝑥 − 4)(5𝑥 + 2)

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Lesson 2: Solving Literal Equations

Solve each equation for the given variable.

1.) Solve for 𝑎: 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑤 − 𝑦 2.) Solve for 𝑐: 𝑆 = 2𝑎𝑏 + 2𝑏𝑐 + 2𝑎𝑐

3.) Solve for π: 𝑉 = 2𝜋𝑟 2 + 2𝜋𝑟ℎ 4.) Solve for 𝑡: 𝐴  𝑝  𝑝𝑟𝑡

5.) If 9𝑥 + 2𝑎  𝑎𝑐 − 𝑏𝑥, then 𝑥 equals 6.) If 𝑥 + 𝑦  𝑛𝑥 + 𝑧, then 𝑥 is equal to

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Lesson 3: Finding Factors, Sums, and Differences

Find two factors whose product and sum is as indicated:
Product Sum Factors Product Sum Factors
−6 1 −56 1
36 −13 35 12
−16 −6 −32 −3
−4 0 −24 5
−33 8 −42 −1
20 9 6 −5
6 −7 14 −9
81 −18 1 2
−12 −1 −6 5
55 −56 −121 0
48 14 −32 14
100 25 25 −24
−49 0 −40 6
7 8 −52 −9
3 -4 −6 −5
−28 3 1 −2
21 10 54 −15
56 15 16 10
−22 9 −27 6
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Lesson 4: Factoring Trinomials of the form 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝒄

Factor each trinomial.

1. ) 𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 − 16 2.) 𝑥 2 + 14𝑥 + 24 3.) 𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 + 7

4.) 𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 − 9 5.) 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 5 6.) 𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 − 36

7.) 𝑛2 − 15𝑛 + 44 8.) 𝑦 2 + 𝑦 − 110 9.) 𝑥 2 − 16𝑥 + 55

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10.) 𝑥 2 − 13𝑥 + 12 11.) 𝑥 2 − 10𝑥 + 21 12.) 𝑘 2 − 9𝑘 + 14

13.) 𝑦 2 − 12𝑦 + 11 14.) 𝑥 2 − 7𝑥 + 12 15.) 𝑥 2 − 22𝑥 + 21

16.) 𝑥 2 + 10𝑥𝑦 + 24𝑦 2 17.) 𝑎2 − 13𝑎𝑏 + 42𝑏2 18.) 𝑚2 + 23𝑚𝑛 + 42𝑛2

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Lesson 5: Factoring Binomials that are the Difference of Two

Perfect Squares

State whether each polynomial is a difference of two squares. If it is, factor the
expression.

1.) 𝑛2 − 81 2.) 𝑎2 − 121 3.) 𝑛2 + 16

4.) 9𝑥 2 − 144 5.) 2𝑥 2 − 9 6.) 4𝑤 2 − 9

7.) 4𝑛2 − 1 8.) 1 − 16𝑥 2 9.) 𝑥4 − 𝑦2

10.) 9 − 𝑐 2 11.) 𝑛3 − 25 12.) 16𝑥 2 − 6𝑦 2

13.) 49 − 4𝑎2 14.) 𝑎2 𝑏 2 − 𝑐 4 15.) 4𝑥 2 𝑦 2 − 9𝑧 2

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Review Activity: What Am I? How do I Factor?

2 2
7𝑥 − 14 𝑏 − 4𝑏 − 45 𝑑 −𝑑−6 𝑚2 − 𝑚 16 − 81𝑦 2
𝑗2 + 11𝑗 + 10 2𝑥 3 + 6𝑥 2 𝑐2 + 𝑐 − 20 25𝑎2 − 256 9𝑥 2 − 4
𝑦2 + 13𝑦 − 48 𝑗2 − 𝑝2 4𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 100 − 𝑘 2 𝑥2 − 8𝑥 + 16
𝑐2 − 1 3𝑥 5 𝑦 + 4𝑥 4 𝑦 − 5𝑥 2 𝑦 3𝑥(2𝑥 − 1) + 4(2𝑥 − 1)

Write the polynomial in the shaded cells in the column that best describes the
method of factoring that should be used. Then factor the polynomial.

Greatest Common Difference of Perfect

Trinomials (no GCF)
Factor Squares

Polynomial

Factored Form

Polynomial

Factored Form

Polynomial

Factored Form

Polynomial

Factored Form

Polynomial

Factored Form

Polynomial

Factored Form
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Review:
Factor each expression completely.

1.) 𝑤 2 + 9𝑤 − 22 2.) 4𝑥𝑦 2 + 24𝑥 2 𝑦 6 3.) 𝑥 2 − 19𝑥 + 84

4.) −4𝑥(𝑥 + 3) + 3𝑥 2 (𝑥 + 3) 5.) 6𝑦 2 + 18 6.) 𝑛2 − 19𝑛 + 90

7.) 𝑘 2 − 13𝑘 + 42 18.) 144 − 𝑤 2 9.) 𝑚2 − 6𝑚 + 5

10.) 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 − 30 11.) 14𝑐 2 𝑑 + 2𝑐𝑑 2 10.) 𝑧 2 + 8𝑧 + 7

13.) 24𝑥 + 48𝑦 14.) 4(2𝑥 + 7) + 5(2𝑥 + 7) 15.) 𝑎2 − 𝑏 2

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Factor each expression completely.

16.) 14𝑐 3 − 42𝑐 5 − 49𝑐 4 17.) 15𝑥 5 − 12𝑥 3 + 10𝑥 2 18.) 𝑥 8 − 𝑦 4

19.) 2𝑥(𝑥 − 5) + 3(𝑥 − 5) + (𝑥 − 5) 20.) (𝑥 − 2)(6 − 4𝑥) + (5𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 − 2)

21.) 81 − 100𝑐 2 22.) 6𝑥 2 𝑦 3 + 9𝑥𝑦 4 + 18𝑦 5 23.) 3𝑘 2 + 14𝑘 − 80

24.) 𝑤 2 + 5𝑤 − 6 25.) 6𝑝2 − 29𝑝 + 28 26.) 𝑑 8 − 𝑑 2

27.) 2𝑥 2 − 13𝑥 − 24 28.) 3𝑥 3 − 75𝑥 29.) 𝑥 2 + 17𝑥 + 70

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Lesson 6: Prime Polynomials

Factor. If the expression is not able to be factored, write “prime”.

1.) 𝑛2 − 6𝑛 + 5 2.) 𝑥 2 − 13𝑥 + 22 3.) 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 3

4.) 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 4 5.) 𝑛2 − 10𝑛 − 9 6.) 𝑔2 + 7𝑔 − 60

7.) 𝑘 2 − 7𝑘 + 6 8.) 𝑑 2 − 19𝑑 + 90 9.) 𝑎2 + 3𝑎 + 4

10.) 𝑧 2 − 17𝑧 + 72 11.) 𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 + 11 12.) 𝑐 2 + 9𝑐 − 10

13.) 𝑝2 + 29𝑝 + 30 14.) 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 3 15.) 𝑎2 − 8𝑎 − 20

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Lesson 7: Factoring Expressions Completely

Factoring Expressions with Higher Powers
Factor completely.
1.) 𝑥 3 + 3𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 2.) 2𝑏 2 − 2

3.) 𝑎3 − 9𝑎2 + 14𝑎 4.) 𝑛4 − 2𝑛3 − 3𝑛2

5.) −7𝑥 2 + 21𝑥 − 14 6.) −𝑥 3 + 4𝑥

7.) 36𝑥 2 𝑦 − 64𝑦 8.) 3𝑐𝑑 2 + 12𝑐𝑑 + 12𝑐

9.) 3𝑏 2 + 12𝑏 − 63 10.) 2𝑥 3 − 6𝑥 2 + 4𝑥

11.) −3𝑘 4 + 18𝑘 3 − 24𝑘 2 12.) −8𝑦 2 𝑧 − 40𝑦𝑧 + 48𝑧

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Lesson 8: Factoring Trinomials of the form 𝒂𝒙𝟐 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝒄,

where 𝒂 ≠ 𝟏

Factor each trinomial.

1.) 3𝑛2 + 7𝑛 − 20 2.) 7𝑎2 + 48𝑎 + 36 3.) 5𝑣 2 − 41𝑣 − 36

4.) 3𝑏 2 + 22𝑏 − 16 5.) 5𝑛2 − 49𝑛 + 72 6.) 6𝑥 2 − 𝑥 − 12

7.) 4𝑦 2 + 29𝑦 + 30 8.) 4𝑎2 − 16𝑎 − 15 9.) 7𝑛2 + 15𝑛 − 18

Factor completely.

10.) 20𝑎4 𝑏 − 20𝑎3 𝑏 + 5𝑎2 𝑏 11.) 16𝑟 3 + 80𝑟 2 + 100𝑟

12.) 2𝑥 3 𝑦 + 6𝑥 2 𝑦 2 + 4𝑥𝑦 3 13.) 3𝑎3 𝑏 + 15𝑎2 𝑏 2 + 18𝑎𝑏 3

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Factoring Practice - Algebra with Pizzazz

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