Education Technology


Algebra II: Sums and Difference of Cubes

by Texas Instruments

Objectives

  • Students will be able to classify expressions as the sum of cubes, difference of cubes, or neither.
  • Students will be able to make connections between the graph of a cubic polynomial, in the form of a sum or difference of cubes, and its factors.
  • Students will be able to factor expressions in the form of a sum or difference of cubes.

Vocabulary

  • Cube roots
  • Sum of cubes
  • Difference of cubes
  • Linear factor
  • Quadratic factor

About the Lesson

This lesson involves factoring expressions that are either the sum of cubes or the difference of cubes. Students will:

  • Edit text to find the cube root of terms.
  • Pull text boxes to a point to identify binomial expressions as the sum of cubes, difference of cubes, or neither.
  • Study the graphs of simple cubic functions, in the form of a sum or difference of cubes, and their linear and quadratic factors.
  • Enter text in a spreadsheet to find the binomial factor of an expression that is the sum or difference of cubes.Enter text in a spreadsheet to find the trinomial factor of an expression which is the sum or difference of cubes.