Factor: f^2-13f-14

1 answer

To factor the quadratic expression \( f^2 - 13f - 14 \), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \(-14\) (the constant term) and add to \(-13\) (the coefficient of \(f\)).

The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-14\) and \(1\), since:

\[ -14 \times 1 = -14 \] \[ -14 + 1 = -13 \]

Now we can express the quadratic as a product of two binomials:

\[ f^2 - 13f - 14 = (f - 14)(f + 1) \]

Thus, the factored form of the expression is:

\[ \boxed{(f - 14)(f + 1)} \]