A perfect square trinomial is a quadratic expression that can be rewritten as the square of a binomial. The general forms of perfect square trinomials are:
- \( (a + b)^2 = a^2 + 2ab + b^2 \)
- \( (a - b)^2 = a^2 - 2ab + b^2 \)
Looking at your options, we can analyze the third option:
16x² + 24x + 9
- \( a^2 = 16x^2 \) (where \( a = 4x \))
- \( b^2 = 9 \) (where \( b = 3 \))
- The middle term \( 24x \) should equal \( 2ab = 2(4x)(3) = 24x \).
Since all these conditions are satisfied, 16x² + 24x + 9 is indeed a perfect square trinomial, specifically:
\((4x + 3)^2\).
The other options are not perfect square trinomials.
So, the correct answer is:
16x² + 24x + 9.