To factor the quadratic expression \(x^2 + x - 30\), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \(-30\) (the constant term) and add to \(1\) (the coefficient of \(x\)).
The numbers that meet these criteria are \(6\) and \(-5\) because:
- \(6 \times (-5) = -30\)
- \(6 + (-5) = 1\)
Now we can write the expression in its factored form:
\[ x^2 + x - 30 = (x + 6)(x - 5) \]
So, \(x^2 + x - 30\) factors to \((x + 6)(x - 5)\).