Factor: f^2-10f-11

1 answer

To factor the quadratic expression \( f^2 - 10f - 11 \), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \(-11\) (the constant term) and add up to \(-10\) (the coefficient of the linear term).

The numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(-11\) and \(1\) because:

\[ -11 \times 1 = -11 \quad \text{and} \quad -11 + 1 = -10. \]

Now we can rewrite the quadratic expression as follows:

\[ f^2 - 10f - 11 = (f - 11)(f + 1). \]

Thus, the factored form of \( f^2 - 10f - 11 \) is:

\[ (f - 11)(f + 1). \]