(6)^-2 Is equivalent to 1/36
Perhaps the most concise way to factor is by "completing the square" which is how the quadratic formula is derived...
x^2+6x+8=0 move constant to other side, subtract 8 from both sides
x^2+6x=-8, halve the linear coefficient, square it, then add that to both sides, in this case (6/2)^2=3^2=9
x^2+6x+9=1 now the left side is a perfect square of the form
(x+3)^2=1 take the square root of both sides
x+3=±√1 subtract 3 from both sides
x=-3±√1
x=-3±1
x=-4 and -2
Since the zeros occur when x=-4 and -2 the factors of the equation are:
(x+2)(x+4)
