Solve 1+49a^2-14a

$$1 + 49 a ^ { 2 } - 14 a$$

Factor

$$\left(7a-1\right)^{2}$$

Solution Steps

Rearrange the polynomial to put it in standard form. Place the terms in order from highest to lowest power.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1$$

Factor the expression by grouping. First, the expression needs to be rewritten as 49a^{2}+pa+qa+1. To find p and q, set up a system to be solved.

$$p+q=-14 pq=49\times 1=49$$

Since pq is positive, p and q have the same sign. Since p+q is negative, p and q are both negative. List all such integer pairs that give product 49.

$$-1,-49 -7,-7$$

Calculate the sum for each pair.

$$-1-49=-50 -7-7=-14$$

The solution is the pair that gives sum -14.

$$p=-7 q=-7$$

Rewrite 49a^{2}-14a+1 as \left(49a^{2}-7a\right)+\left(-7a+1\right).

$$\left(49a^{2}-7a\right)+\left(-7a+1\right)$$

Factor out 7a in the first and -1 in the second group.

$$7a\left(7a-1\right)-\left(7a-1\right)$$

Factor out common term 7a-1 by using distributive property.

$$\left(7a-1\right)\left(7a-1\right)$$

Rewrite as a binomial square.

$$\left(7a-1\right)^{2}$$

Steps Using Square Of Binomial

This trinomial has the form of a trinomial square, perhaps multiplied by a common factor. Trinomial squares can be factored by finding the square roots of the leading and trailing terms.

$$factor(49a^{2}-14a+1)$$

Find the greatest common factor of the coefficients.

$$gcf(49,-14,1)=1$$

Find the square root of the leading term, 49a^{2}.

$$\sqrt{49a^{2}}=7a$$

The trinomial square is the square of the binomial that is the sum or difference of the square roots of the leading and trailing terms, with the sign determined by the sign of the middle term of the trinomial square.

$$\left(7a-1\right)^{2}$$

Steps Using the Quadratic Formula

Quadratic polynomial can be factored using the transformation ax^{2}+bx+c=a\left(x-x_{1}\right)\left(x-x_{2}\right), where x_{1} and x_{2} are the solutions of the quadratic equation ax^{2}+bx+c=0.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=0$$

All equations of the form ax^{2}+bx+c=0 can be solved using the quadratic formula: \frac{-b±\sqrt{b^{2}-4ac}}{2a}. The quadratic formula gives two solutions, one when ± is addition and one when it is subtraction.

$$a=\frac{-\left(-14\right)±\sqrt{\left(-14\right)^{2}-4\times 49}}{2\times 49}$$

Square -14.

$$a=\frac{-\left(-14\right)±\sqrt{196-4\times 49}}{2\times 49}$$

Multiply -4 times 49.

$$a=\frac{-\left(-14\right)±\sqrt{196-196}}{2\times 49}$$

Add 196 to -196.

$$a=\frac{-\left(-14\right)±\sqrt{0}}{2\times 49}$$

Take the square root of 0.

$$a=\frac{-\left(-14\right)±0}{2\times 49}$$

The opposite of -14 is 14.

$$a=\frac{14±0}{2\times 49}$$

Multiply 2 times 49.

$$a=\frac{14±0}{98}$$

Factor the original expression using ax^{2}+bx+c=a\left(x-x_{1}\right)\left(x-x_{2}\right). Substitute \frac{1}{7} for x_{1} and \frac{1}{7} for x_{2}.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=49\left(a-\frac{1}{7}\right)\left(a-\frac{1}{7}\right)$$

Subtract \frac{1}{7} from a by finding a common denominator and subtracting the numerators. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms if possible.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=49\times \frac{7a-1}{7}\left(a-\frac{1}{7}\right)$$

Subtract \frac{1}{7} from a by finding a common denominator and subtracting the numerators. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms if possible.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=49\times \frac{7a-1}{7}\times \frac{7a-1}{7}$$

Multiply \frac{7a-1}{7} times \frac{7a-1}{7} by multiplying numerator times numerator and denominator times denominator. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms if possible.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=49\times \frac{\left(7a-1\right)\left(7a-1\right)}{7\times 7}$$

Multiply 7 times 7.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=49\times \frac{\left(7a-1\right)\left(7a-1\right)}{49}$$

Cancel out 49, the greatest common factor in 49 and 49.

$$49a^{2}-14a+1=\left(7a-1\right)\left(7a-1\right)$$

Evaluate

$$\left(7a-1\right)^{2}$$