Expert: Richard J. Raridon - 5/7/2009

Question
Hi. I was wondering if you could show me how to get to this answer in steps.
3x^2 + 7x + 2
Thats what I start with, and I have to make it into this.
(3x + 1)(x + 2)
I think its by a certain foiling method.
Thanks!

Answer
Well, I never learned foiling when I took algebra 60 years ago.  However, the factors have to be (ax+b)(cx+d) where ac = 3, bd = 2 and bc+ad = 7 so you know that a and c have to be 1 and 3 and b and d have to be 1 and 2.  So that gives you (3x+b)(x+d) and it's not to hard to find b=1 and d=2.