Math  /  Algebra

QuestionFactor the polynomial by grouping. Do not use extra spaces in your answers. 4x216x+3x124 x^{2}-16 x+3 x-12

Studdy Solution

STEP 1

What is this asking? We need to rewrite this polynomial as a product of two smaller polynomials. Watch out! Don't forget to factor completely!
Sometimes, after an initial grouping, there might be more factoring that can be done.

STEP 2

1. Group the Terms
2. Factor Each Group
3. Factor Out the Common Binomial

STEP 3

Alright, let's **group** the first two terms and the last two terms together.
This sets us up perfectly to find common factors within each group.
So we have (4x216x)+(3x12)(4x^2 - 16x) + (3x - 12).
Remember, we're strategically grouping these terms to make our factoring easier!

STEP 4

Now, let's **factor out** the **greatest common factor (GCF)** from each group.
In the first group, (4x216x)(4x^2 - 16x), the GCF is 4x4x.
Factoring that out gives us 4x(x4)4x(x - 4).
See how that nicely isolates the (x4)(x-4)?

STEP 5

For the second group, (3x12)(3x - 12), the GCF is **3**.
Factoring that out gives us 3(x4)3(x - 4).
Boom! Notice how we now have a common binomial factor, (x4)(x - 4), in both groups.
This is key!

STEP 6

Since both groups share the common factor (x4)(x - 4), we can **factor it out**.
Think of (x4)(x - 4) as a single term that's being multiplied by both 4x4x and 33.
So, we can rewrite the entire expression as (x4)(4x+3)(x - 4)(4x + 3).
We're essentially using the distributive property in reverse!

STEP 7

So, our fully factored polynomial is (x4)(4x+3)(x - 4)(4x + 3).
We've successfully rewritten our original polynomial as a product of two simpler ones!

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