A box has a volume given by the trinomial x^3 + 5x^2 - 24x What are the possible dimensions of the box?

Since the volume of a box is just three factors, each being the sides multiplied together, we basically need to factor these into three numbers that would multiply back out and get x^3 + 5x^2 - 24x. Factor out an x and get x (x^2+5x-24), then factor normally and get x (x+8) (x-3). (8 and - 3 multiply into - 24, and add into 5) Your three dimensions are x, x+8, and x-3.