Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Step  1  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 1.1     Factoring  b²-9b+14 

The first term is,  b²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  -9b  its coefficient is  -9 .
The last term, "the constant", is  +14 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • 14 = 14 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  14  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   -9 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  -7  and  -2 
                     b² - 7b - 2b - 14

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    b • (b-7)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                    2 • (b-7)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (b-2)  •  (b-7)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (b - 2) • (b - 7)