Question

Factor.
x, squared, minus, 2, x, minus, 15
x
2
−2x−15

Answer 1

To factor the quadratic expression \( x^2 - 2x - 15 \), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \( -15 \) (the constant term) and add up to \( -2 \) (the coefficient of the linear term).

The two numbers that satisfy these conditions are \( -5 \) and \( 3 \) since:

- \( -5 \times 3 = -15 \)
- \( -5 + 3 = -2 \)

Now we can write the factored form of the expression:

\[
x^2 - 2x - 15 = (x - 5)(x + 3)
\]

Thus, the factored form of \( x^2 - 2x - 15 \) is \((x - 5)(x + 3)\).