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To factor a perfect square trinomial, the first and last terms have to be perfect squares.
(2-7a)^2
We want to factor a perfect square trinomial.
4-28a+49a^2
| Is the first term a perfect square? | 4= 2^2 ✓ |
| Is the last term a perfect square? | 49a^2= 7^2 a^2 ✓ |
| Is the middle term twice the product of 14 and a? | 28a=2* 14* a ✓ |
As we can see, the answer to the three questions above is yes! Therefore, we can write the trinomial as the square of a binomial. Note there is a subtraction sign in the middle. 4-28a+49a^2 ⇔ ( 2- 7a)^2
(a-b)^2=a^2-2ab+b^2
Multiply
(a b)^m=a^m b^m
Calculate power
After expanding and simplifying, the result is the same as the given expression. Therefore, we can be sure our solution is correct!