The trinomial x2 bx c factors to (x m)(x n). if b is negative and c is positive, what must be true about m and n? sample answer- the value of m must be greater than the value of n. when you multiply the binomials, the middle term is the result of combining the outside and inside products. so, bx = –nx + mx, or bx = (–n + m)x. this means that b = –n + m. when adding numbers with opposite signs, you subtract their absolute values, and keep the sign of the number having the larger absolute value. since b is positive, m must have the larger absolute value.