Answer:
The answer is prime.
Step-by-step explanation:
x2 – 8x – 12
We need two numbers which are factors of 12 such that their product is -12 and their sum is -8. The factors are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 but no two numbers satisfy the requirements of summing up to -8 and product of -12.
Therefore the equation is a prime as it has no factor
We can also check if the equation has a factor using the formula for general quadratic equation of ax² + bx + c = 0, the formula is;
(b² - 4ac)
If the answer is a perfect square only then we can factorize the equation.
In the given equation x² - 8x - 12
b = -8 and c = -12
b²- 4ac = (-8)² - 4(1)(-12) = 64 + 48 = 112
Since 112 is not a perfect square number, we can say there is no factors for the given equation.