Reverse FOIL Calculator

With our reverse FOIL calculator, you will learn how to factor trinomials in the blink of an eye!

Clear
The two numbers7 and 3
Check the sum10
Check the product21
Both whole numbers?Yes
Factors asx² − 10x + 21 = (x − 7)(x − 3)

The method

find two numbers with a given sum and product

This is factoring a quadratic

Two numbers with sum s and product p are exactly the roots of x² − sx + p = 0. That is why "find two numbers that multiply to 21 and add to 10" is the same task as factoring x² − 10x + 21 into (x − 3)(x − 7).

A real pair exists only when s² ≥ 4p — the discriminant condition.