Factorisation?

[skinnyamericano]

I wonder if anyone can help with this maths homework please?

We’ve had to factorise, say, 8a + 10 to give 2(4a + 5). I think that’s ok, but then draw a rectangle with the answer?

Any clues please??? Thanks

Look in the exercise book to see if there are examples done in class?

I do area of rectangles to help start expanding brackets, but not factorising, I’m not sure what they mean or why they would want you to draw one after you have worked out the answer.

Unfortunately there are no examples in the text book and DS didn’t understand it at all in class, so didn’t write anything down!

This is the instruction...
NOTE: you must draw a rectangle for each one question like we were doing in class!

Thanks for replying 😊

So because it's essentially two things multiplied together it relates to the dimensions of the rectangle. So height would be 2 and width would be 4a + 5

Like this??

Have you looked on BBC bitesize for anything on it?

sadnessin thanks - I wondered that, but then they aren’t all 2, so don’t think it can be?

I’ve tried bbc bite size (usually my saviour!) but no luck 🙁

Can you give an example of one that isn't 2 that you don't think will work?

Ah sorry Sad - I’ve got you now! That’s a distinct possibility.

Is there a value given for a? I feel like this is a quadratic - therefore gave it a google and found this www.enotes.com/homework-help/quadratic-equation-370194

Which makes sense to me, but only if you've been given a value :S

Maybe you could put in the rectangle 8a+10 to show that’s the area?

So 6(3c + 4) would be 6 down one side and 3c + 4 along the other?

Yep that'd be it !

sirmione16

My brain simply can not compute that. If that’s the case, DS will have to get his teacher to explain that!! Thank you.

It's not a quadratic.

Sounds more like they're being asked to use a specific method. Could it be something like this? If they've been given a homework task they should have at least been given an example.

That’s the sort of thing I do for expanding, Lonelydad but I cannot fathom why they’d draw the rectangle after getting the answer. It’s an aid to working out the answer.

That’s got to be it - thanks so much lonelydad!!

It doesn’t state when to do the rectangle and DS didn’t have a clue, but that makes total sense now. It’s the method rather than the result.

You were right noble 😊

This was so satisfying to see this get worked out sorry I couldn't help! :)

sirmione - I have a feeling your link will be the next step, and I will have to bow out gracefully at that point 😫

DS fast asleep now with homework complete!

Thanks everyone for your help - it was definitely satisfying to get it in the end 😊