How do you factor -3x2-6x plus 24?

Answer 1

-3(x-2)(x+4) is the answer.

Here is how I got it:

you can factor a -3 out immediately. That changes it to:

x2+2x-8

Now, what two numbers multiply to -8 and add to 2? well, -2 and 4

(-2*4=-8, -3+4=2)

So, since there is no coefficient on x^2 (actually it is assumed to be 1)

Therefore, you write: (x-2)(x+4)

then you put the -3 on the outside, as you factored it out before, giving you:

-3(x-2)(x+4)