What is one factor of x 2 – 4?

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Accepted Answer

To find the factors of a quadratic, begin by finding two numbers whose product is equal to the constant of the quadratic. Of those numbers, find the pair that adds to the coefficient of the x term of the quadratic. This quadratic has no x term—the sum of the products of the outside and inside terms of the factors is 0; –2 and 2 multiply to –4 and add to 0. Therefore, the factors of x 2 – 4 are (x – 2) and (x + 2).

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