factor u^2-8u+16

1 answer

To factor the expression \(u^2 - 8u + 16\), we need to find two numbers that multiply to 16 (the constant term) and add to -8 (the coefficient of the middle term).

The two numbers are -4 and -4 because \((-4) \times (-4) = 16\) and \((-4) + (-4) = -8\).

Therefore, we can rewrite the expression as:

\(u^2 - 8u + 16 = (u - 4)(u - 4)\)

This can also be written as:

\(u^2 - 8u + 16 = (u - 4)^2\)