Struggling with factoring? The "difference of two squares" is your secret weapon! It's a pattern that lets you quickly factor expressions in the form a² - b². The formula is incredibly straightforward: a² - b² = (a + b)(a - b).
Think of it like this: if you see something that's a perfect square (like x², 9, or 25y²) being subtracted from another perfect square, you can apply this rule. For example, let's factor x² - 4. Here, a = x and b = 2 (since 4 = 2²). Applying the formula: x² - 4 = (x + 2)(x - 2). See? Easy!
Why is this useful? Factoring helps simplify equations, solve for unknowns, and understand the relationships between variables. Master the difference of two squares, and you'll have a powerful tool in your algebra arsenal!
