How do you factor #x^{2}-x-6#?

2 Answers
Jul 6, 2018

#(x+2)(x-3)#

Explanation:

#x^2-x-6#

#=x^2-3x+2x-6#

#=x(x-3)+2(x-3)#

#=(x+2)(x-3)#

Jul 6, 2018

#(x-3)(x+2)#

Explanation:

Let's do a little thought experiment:

What two numbers sum up to #-1# (middle term) and have a product of #-6# (last term)?

After some trial and error, we arrive at #-3# and #2#. Thus, we can factor this quadratic as

#(x-3)(x+2)#

Hope this helps!