Playing with X and Y

Factoring expressions like x² + 3xy + 2y² is not a problem...



We also did x² + 5xy + 6y² as well and off camera we did more problems which were EASY once they understood the concept.

x² + 7xy + 12y² etc.

It's EASY to see x² + 3xy + 2y² = (x + y)(x + 2y)

x² + 5xy + 6y² = (x + 2y)(x + 3y)

x² + 7xy + 12y² = (x + 4y)(x + 3y)

Watching me explaining it to little kids should make it easier for you to see how to explain it...

Older kids that have played with these blocks will look at this and go "no big deal"...as the five year old said we're just giving the units, and x's a new name...the concepts for factoring multiplication and division are the same...


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The House of Math

Learn a lot of algebra for a buck.