Question 18·Hard·Equivalent Expressions
Which of the following expressions is (are) a factor of ?
I.
II.
For SAT questions asking which linear expressions are factors of a polynomial, use the Factor Theorem instead of long division: for each candidate factor, solve it for to find its root, then substitute that value into the polynomial. If the result is , it’s a factor; if not, it isn’t. Work carefully with fractions and signs, and test each option systematically—this is usually faster and less error-prone than trying to factor the entire polynomial from scratch.
Hints
Think about how to test a factor quickly
Instead of doing full polynomial division, recall a shortcut: for a linear expression like , you can plug a specific number into the polynomial to test if it is a factor.
Find the roots of the given linear expressions
For I, , what value of makes it zero? For II, , what value of makes it zero? These values are what you should plug into the polynomial.
Apply the Factor Theorem carefully
After you find the relevant -values, substitute each into and simplify carefully. If the result is , that expression is a factor.
Check arithmetic signs and fractions
Pay special attention when working with fractions like and with negative signs; small sign errors can change whether you get or not.
Desmos Guide
Enter the polynomial
In Desmos, type f(x) = 8x^3 - 14x^2 - 19x + 30 to define the polynomial.
Test expression I: x - 2
In the input line, type f(2) and check the output. If the result is 0, then is a factor; if it is not 0, then is not a factor.
Test expression II: 4x - 5
Find the root of (solve ) and then type f(root_value) in Desmos (for example, f(5/4)). If that value is 0, then is a factor.
Optional: verify full factorization
You can also type (x - 2)(4x - 5)(2x + 3) as another function and compare its graph to f(x), or expand it using Desmos’s tools to confirm it matches exactly.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the Factor Theorem
To check if a linear expression is a factor of a polynomial, use the Factor Theorem:
- is a factor of a polynomial if and only if .
- For an expression like , first solve to get its root , then check .
We will apply this to .
Test expression I:
Expression I is . Its root is .
Compute :
Now simplify:
So , which means is a factor of .
Test expression II:
Expression II is . Find its root by solving :
Now compute :
First find the powers:
- , so
- , so
Now add all terms:
Combine step by step:
So , which means is also a factor of .
Confirm and state the answer
Since both tests gave :
- is a factor.
- is a factor.
We can even check the full factorization:
This matches the original polynomial, confirming that both expressions I and II are factors, so the correct choice is I and II.