Algebra II: Sums and Difference of Cubes

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.