Question
Factor.
x, squared, minus, 3, x, minus, 4
x
2
−3x−4
x, squared, minus, 3, x, minus, 4
x
2
−3x−4
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To factor the quadratic expression \( x^2 - 3x - 4 \), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \(-4\) (the constant term) and add to \(-3\) (the coefficient of the \(x\) term).
The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-4\) and \(1\), because:
- \(-4 \times 1 = -4\)
- \(-4 + 1 = -3\)
Using these numbers, we can factor the expression:
\[
x^2 - 3x - 4 = (x - 4)(x + 1)
\]
Thus, the factored form of \( x^2 - 3x - 4 \) is:
\[
(x - 4)(x + 1)
\]
The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-4\) and \(1\), because:
- \(-4 \times 1 = -4\)
- \(-4 + 1 = -3\)
Using these numbers, we can factor the expression:
\[
x^2 - 3x - 4 = (x - 4)(x + 1)
\]
Thus, the factored form of \( x^2 - 3x - 4 \) is:
\[
(x - 4)(x + 1)
\]