Factor the difference of two squares.
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A) a(9a + 1)(a - 49)
B) a(3a + 7)(3a - 7)

Question

Factor the difference of two squares.
-
A) a(9a + 1)(a - 49) 
B) a(3a + 7)(3a - 7)

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The difference of two squares formula is: a^2 - b^2 = (a+b)(a-b). In this problem, we can rewrite the expression as a^2 - 49 = (a+7)(a-7). However, we also need to include the coefficient of a, which is 3 in this case, so the final answer is a(3a+7)(3a-7). Therefore, the best choice is B. The difference of two squares formula is a² - b² = (a + b)(a - b). In this case, the squares are a² and 49, so b = 7. Therefore, the expression can be written as a² - 49 = (a + 7)(a - 7). However, none of the answer choices match exactly. The closest is answer choice B, which has the same factored first term (a), and its second term can be expanded as (3a)² - 49 = (3a + 7)(3a - 7). Therefore, answer choice B is the best choice.

Factor the Difference of Two Squares