Find th missing values: (a+6) (a-___) = a^2 + __a - 12

Question

Please provide steps and correct answer, thank you!

Answer 1

Notice the last term on the left side is -12.  That means we need two numbers that give a product of -12.  Now take a look at the last term of the first binomial on the left side.  It is 6.  To find the last term of the second binomial, divide -12 by 6, which is -2.  Then, using FOIL on the left side, we can figure out the middle term on the right side.

 

(a + 6)(a - 2) = a² + 4a - 12