Identify Factors: To factor the trinomial x2+x−12, we need to find two numbers that multiply to −12 (the constant term) and add up to 1 (the coefficient of the x term).
List Factor Pairs: We list the pairs of factors of −12: (−1,12), (1,−12), (−2,6), (2,−6), (−3,4), and (3,−4).
Find Pair Sum: We look for a pair of factors that add up to 1. The pair (3,−4) adds up to −1, and the pair (−3,4) adds up to 1, which is the coefficient of the x term.
Write as Binomials: We write the trinomial as a product of two binomials using the pair of factors we found: x2+x−12=(x−3)(x+4).
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