Question

Identify the factoring pattern: y 2 −16=(y+4)(y−4) y2-16=(y+4)(y-4)

Difference of Squares
Perfect Square Trinomial
Difference of Cubes
Sum of Cubes

Answer 1

I think it is the sum of cubes because if you add them, they become cubes.

Answer 2

This is a difference of squares. Every time you have the difference between two squares, you can factor it as the product between the sum and the difference of the roots:

`a^2-b^2 = (a+b)(a-b)`

In your case, the squares are

`y^2 \to \text{the square of } y`

`16 \to \text{the square of } 4`

So, the difference between the squares,
`y^2-16` can be written as the multiplication between the sum and difference of the roots:

`y^2-16=(y+4)(y-4)`