Question

factor this expression

-8+12x

Answer 1

To factor the expression \(-8 + 12x\), you'll need to find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the terms.

The terms are \(-8\) and \(12x\):

1. Identify the GCF of the coefficients \(-8\) and \(12\). The GCF of 8 and 12 is 4.
2. Each term is divisible by 4.

So, you can factor out a 4 from each term:

\[
-8 + 12x = 4(-2) + 4(3x)
\]

Now factor out the 4:

\[
-8 + 12x = 4(-2 + 3x)
\]

So, the factored expression is:

\[
4(-2 + 3x)
\]

And if you want to factor out a negative common factor instead, you could factor out \(-4\):

\[
-8 + 12x = -4(2 - 3x)
\]

So another factored form is:

\[
-4(2 - 3x)
\]

Both forms are valid factorizations of the original expression.