How to factor:
x^3+3x^2-54x
First thing first, you have to find out if there is anything you can put outside a parenthesis. You can see that there is at least one x in every term. Therefore you can put that outside, and the function will look like this:
x(x^2+3x-54)
Next you have to find out two numbers you can multiply to get -54.
9 * -6
-6 * 9
-18 * 3
-3 * 18
-27 * 2
-2 * 27
Now you can try to set in the numbers in two parentheses, and test if it is the correct answer.
x(x-6)(x+9)
To be sure it is the right numbers you can multiply and see what the answer is. I found out that this is correct. So this is how you factor.
Factoring and solving are related because they both us equations by breaking them down to find an answer.