WeBWorK using host: https://webwork.pcc.edu, format: simple, seed: 3297, course: orcca

$\newcommand{\amp}{&}$

Factor $x^2-49\text{.}$

Solution

The “ $49$ ” being subtracted here is a perfect square. It is the same as $7^2\text{.}$ So we can take $b=7$ and write:

$\begin{aligned} x^2-49\amp=(x-b)(x+b)\\ \amp=(x-7)(x+7) \end{aligned}$