YourTeacher.com - Your Personal Math Teacher Inside Every Lesson

Demo Lesson!

Algebra 2: Lesson 059

Factoring by Grouping
Basic Technique

Lesson Description

Students learn to factor a polynomial that has four terms by grouping the first two terms together and the last two terms together, then factoring out the Greatest Common Factor from each group. For example, to factor ax - ay + cx - cy, the first step is to factor out an "a" from the first two terms, and factor out a "c" from the last two terms, to get a(x - y) + c(x - y). The problem can now be thought of as two terms, each with a Greatest Common Factor of (x - y), so an (x - y) can be factored out, to get (x - y)(a + c).

Thousands of Online Math Lessons

Middle School
High School Math

Pre-Algebra
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2

Community College
College Math

College Pre-Algebra
Introductory Algebra
Intermediate Algebra
College Algebra

Find the Lesson You Need

Textbook Search

Our lessons matched
to your textbook

Keyword Search

Search our lessons
by keyword:

Standardized
Test Prep

SAT
ACT
GED
ACCUPLACER
COMPASS
CLEP
GRE
GMAT
ASVAB
PRAXIS
TEAS

more tests...

Placement Test Prep

I have two boys in high school and yourteachermath has been unbelievably helpful. I have subscribed for another year and can't imagine not having their expertise when we need it!!!