Math Problem Statement
An expression is shown below:
10n3 − 15n2 + 20xn2 − 30xn
Part A: Rewrite the expression by factoring out the greatest common factor. (4 points)
Part B: Factor the entire expression completely. Show the steps of your work. (6 points)
Solution
Let's break this problem down step by step.
Given expression:
Part A: Factoring Out the Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
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Identify the GCF:
- Look at the coefficients: 10, 15, 20, and 30. The greatest common factor of these numbers is 5.
- Look at the variables: Each term contains at least one factor of n, so n is also part of the GCF.
Therefore, the GCF of the entire expression is 5n.
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Factor out the GCF: To factor out , divide each term of the expression by :
After factoring out , the expression becomes:
Part B: Factoring the Entire Expression Completely
- Rewrite the expression after factoring out the GCF: We now need to factor the quadratic-like expression inside the parentheses:
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Group the terms: To factor this completely, we will try grouping the terms:
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Factor out the GCF from each group:
- From , the GCF is , so we get .
- From , the GCF is , so we get .
Now, the expression becomes:
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Factor by grouping: Notice that both terms now have a common factor of . We can factor this out:
Thus, the fully factored expression is:
Final Answer:
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Part A: The expression factored by the GCF is:
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Part B: The expression completely factored is:
Would you like more details on any specific part of this factorization?
Here are 5 related questions to explore this further:
- How do you determine the GCF of a polynomial with both coefficients and variables?
- Can all quadratic expressions be factored by grouping, or are there exceptions?
- How would the factoring process change if the polynomial had a different number of terms?
- What are the signs to watch for when deciding if an expression can be factored by grouping?
- How can factoring help solve equations or inequalities involving polynomials?
Tip: When factoring by grouping, always check for a common factor across all terms before starting the grouping process!
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Polynomials
Factoring
Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
Formulas
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Theorems
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Suitable Grade Level
High School