FACTORING A PERFECT SQUARE

TRINOMIAL
In each of the following diagram, what
numbers or expressions should be on the
sides of the “X” that are multiplied
together to get the top number or
expression of the “X,” but added together
to get the bottom number or expression of
the “X.”
36

12
49

-14
1/4

1
 4
𝑥

2
−2𝑥
 2
9𝑎

6𝑎
1. Identify a perfect square trinomial.
2. Get the square of the numbers.
3. Factor a perfect square trinomial
When can we say that a given trinomial
is a perfect square?
A perfect square trinomial is the result of
squaring a binomial. A perfect square
trinomial has first and last terms which
are perfect squares and a middle term
which is twice the product of the square
root of the first and last terms.
 2 10𝑥 81 18𝑥 𝑥 2 4
25𝑥
15𝑥 2 −24𝑥 9 10𝑥 28𝑥
16𝑥
2 -16𝑥 16 15𝑥 25 2
4𝑥 49𝑥
2 49 8𝑥 16 24𝑥 2 9
16𝑥
25 14𝑥 8𝑥 40𝑥 30𝑥 10𝑥
7𝑥 2 12𝑥 25𝑥 2 40 2
𝑥 12𝑥
How do we factor perfect square
trinomial?
 2 10𝑥 81 18𝑥 𝑥 2 4
25𝑥
15𝑥 2 −24𝑥 9 10𝑥 28𝑥
16𝑥
2 -16𝑥 16 15𝑥 25 2
4𝑥 49𝑥
2 49 8𝑥 16 24𝑥 2 9
16𝑥
25 14𝑥 8𝑥 40𝑥 30𝑥 10𝑥
7𝑥 2 12𝑥 25𝑥 2 40 2
𝑥 12𝑥
 2 10𝑥 81 18𝑥 𝑥 2 4
25𝑥
15𝑥 2 −24𝑥 9 10𝑥 28𝑥
16𝑥
2 -16𝑥 16 15𝑥 25 2
4𝑥 49𝑥
2 49 8𝑥 16 24𝑥 2 9
16𝑥
25 14𝑥 8𝑥 40𝑥 30𝑥 10𝑥
7𝑥 2 12𝑥 25𝑥 2 40 2
𝑥 12𝑥
 2
𝑥 + 14𝑥 + 49 = ( )( )
2
= (𝑥 + 7)

𝑥2 = 𝑥

49 = 7
1. Get the square root of the first and last
terms.

2. List down the square root as

sum/difference of two terms as the case
may be.
 You can use the following relationships to
factor perfect square trinomials.
(1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2 +2 1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 + (𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2 = (1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 + 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2

(1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2 −2 1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 + (𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2 = (1𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 − 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚)2

Remember to factor out first the greatest

common monomial factor(CMF) before
factoring the perfect square trinomial.
 2 2
1. 𝑥 + 10𝑥 + 25 = ( )
2 + 18𝑥 + 81 = ( 2
2. 𝑥 )
2 − 16𝑥 + 16 = ( 2
3. 4𝑥 )
2−24𝑥 + 9 = ( 2
4. 16𝑥 )
2+28𝑥 + 4 2
5. 49𝑥 =( )
2+40𝑥 + 16= 2
6. 25𝑥 ( )
1 4 2 1 2 4 2 𝟐
𝑎 𝑏 − 𝑎 𝑏𝑐 + 𝑐 = ( )
16 3 9
 3 2
75𝑡 + 30𝑡 + 3𝑡 𝑪𝑴𝑭: 𝟑𝒕
𝟑𝒕

= 𝟑𝒕( 25𝑡 2 +10𝑡 +1 )

= 𝟑𝒕( 5𝑡 + 1 ) 𝟐
Factor the following :

1) 49𝑝2 + 56𝑝 + 16
4 3 2
2) 20𝑓 – 60𝑓 + 45𝑓
Complete the perfect square trinomial and
factor them.
1. ___ + 16𝑥 + 64
2
2. 𝑥 − ___ + 49
2
3. 𝑥 + 4𝑥 + ___
2
4. 𝑥 + ___ + 9𝑦 2

5.___ + 10𝑘 + 25
We have… We have…
(𝒎 + 𝟔)𝟐 (𝟒𝒅 − 𝟑)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟏𝟔𝒅𝟐 − 𝟐𝟒𝒅 + 𝟗? 𝟗𝒏𝟐 + 𝟑𝟎𝒏𝒅 + 𝟐𝟓𝒅𝟐 ?
We have… We have…
(𝟑𝒏 + 𝟓𝒅)𝟐 (𝟕𝒈 − 𝟔)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟒𝟗𝒈𝟐 − 𝟖𝟒𝒈 + 𝟑𝟔? 𝟏𝟐𝟏𝒄𝟒 + 𝟔𝟔𝒄𝟐 + 𝟗?
We have… We have…
(𝟏𝟏𝒄𝟐 + 𝟑)𝟐 (𝟓𝒓 + 𝟒𝒏)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟐𝟓𝒓𝟐 + 𝟒𝟎𝒓𝒏 + 𝟏𝟔𝒏𝟐 ? 𝟗𝒉𝟐 + 𝟔𝒉 + 𝟏?
We have… We have…
(𝟑𝒉 + 𝟏)𝟐 (𝟐𝒇 − 𝟑)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟒𝒇𝟐 − 𝟏𝟐𝒇 + 𝟗? 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟐𝟓?
We have… We have…
(𝒙 − 𝟓)𝟐 (𝒃 − 𝟏𝟎)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝒃𝟐 − 𝟐𝟎𝒃 + 𝟏𝟎𝟎? 𝟑𝟔𝒃𝟐 − 𝟏𝟐𝒏 + 𝟏?
We have… We have…
(𝟔𝒃 − 𝟏)𝟐 (𝟑𝒑 − 𝟒)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟗𝒑𝟐 − 𝟐𝟒𝒑 + 𝟏𝟔? 𝟒𝟗𝒌𝟐 − 𝟐𝟖𝒌𝒑 + 𝟒𝒑𝟐 ?
We have… We have…
(𝟕𝒌 − 𝟐𝒑)𝟐 (𝒙 + 𝟐)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒𝒙 + 𝟒? 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟖𝒙 + 𝟖𝟏?
We have… We have…
(𝒙 − 𝟗)𝟐 (𝟐𝒂 + 𝟏)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟒𝒂𝟐 + 𝟒𝒂 + 𝟏? 𝟐𝟓𝒎𝟐 − 𝟑𝟎𝒎 + 𝟗?
We have… We have…
(𝟓𝒎 − 𝟑)𝟐 (𝒅 + 𝟖)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝒅𝟐 + 𝟏𝟔𝒅 + 𝟔𝟒? 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟒𝒙 + 𝟒𝟗?
We have… We have…
(𝒙 − 𝟕)𝟐 (𝒙 − 𝟑𝒚)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝒙𝟐 − 𝟔𝒙𝒚 + 𝟗𝒚𝟐 ? 𝒎𝟐 − 𝟏𝟐𝒎𝒏 + 𝟑𝟔𝒏𝟐 ?
We have… We have…
(𝒎 − 𝟔𝒏)𝟐 (𝟐𝒙 + 𝟗)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟒𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑𝟔𝒙 + 𝟖𝟏? 𝒇𝟐 − 𝟐𝟒𝒇 + 𝟏𝟒𝟒?
We have… We have…
(𝒇 − 𝟏𝟐)𝟐 (𝟐𝒈 + 𝟏𝟏)𝟐
Who has Who has
𝟒𝒈𝟐 + 𝟒𝟒𝒈 + 𝟏𝟐𝟏? 𝒎𝟐 + 𝟏𝟐𝒎 + 𝟑𝟔?