Algebra 1 Lesson #40 How to Factor Trinomials When the Leading Coefficient is not 1

In this lesson, we will explore two strategies for factoring a trinomial when the leading coefficient is not 1. First, we will look at the AC method, which tells us to first factor out the GCF if it is not 1, then we will find two integers whose product is ac and whose sum is b. From there, we will use these two integers to rewrite the middle term such that we have a four-term polynomial. Then, we can use factoring by grouping. Alternatively, we can use a process known as reverse FOIL. For the reverse FOIL method, we will simply think about how we can reverse the FOIL process.