How To Factor Trinomials With The Diamond Method

A quadratic equation is considered to be a polynomial equation of the second degree. A quadratic equation is used to represent a point on a graph. The equation can be written using three terms, defined as being a trinomial equation. Factoring the trinomial equation using the diamond method can be faster than traditional methods.

Step 1

Draw a large "x" on your paper. Then draw a diamond shaped border around the large "x," creating four smaller diamonds within the border.

Step 2

Write a small "x" to represent multiplication in the top portion of the large diamond.

Step 3

Write a small "+" symbol in the lower part of the large diamond to represent addition.

Step 4

Allocate the coefficients. Write the last number in the trinomial in the top portion of the large diamond. Write the second coefficient in the bottom part of the large diamond.

Step 5

Determine what two numbers multiply to become the top number and add to become the bottom number. Write one number on the left side of the large diamond and the other on the right side of the large diamond.

Step 6

Write a binomial based on the two numbers you wrote on the left and right sides of the large diamond. For example, if the two numbers were -3 and 2, then write (x – 3) ( x + 2). These are the factors for your equation.