x^2 - 11x + 24
Since it's just x^2, it should be something like this:
(x ) (x )
24 factors into 3 and 8, so let's try this:
(x 3) (x 8)
See how there's a - on the 11x in the middle? Let's try this:
(x - 3) (x - 8)
Expand that and we get
x^2 - 3x - 8x + 24
x^2 - 11x + 24
That matches our original problem, so:
The factors of x^2 - 11x + 24 are (x-3) and (x-8)