Which factor do 64x^2+48x+9

and 64x^2-9
have in common?

1 answer

To find a common factor between the two expressions \(64x^2 + 48x + 9\) and \(64x^2 - 9\), we can try to determine if they share any factors via factoring or looking for common terms.

  1. Factor the first expression \(64x^2 + 48x + 9\).

To factor this quadratic expression \(64x^2 + 48x + 9\), we can use the quadratic formula or look for perfect squares, but let's first check if it can be factorized neatly.

The coefficients suggest that it may be factorable:

\[ 64x^2 + 48x + 9 = (8x + 3)(8x + 3) = (8x + 3)^2 \]

So, we have:

\[ 64x^2 + 48x + 9 = (8x + 3)^2 \]

  1. Factor the second expression \(64x^2 - 9\).

This expression is a difference of squares:

\[ 64x^2 - 9 = (8x)^2 - 3^2 = (8x - 3)(8x + 3) \]

  1. Common factors:

Now, we look at both factored forms:

  • The first expression, \(64x^2 + 48x + 9\), factors to \((8x + 3)^2\)
  • The second expression, \(64x^2 - 9\), factors to \((8x - 3)(8x + 3)\)

From these forms, we can see that both expressions share a common factor of \(8x + 3\).

Hence, the common factor between \(64x^2 + 48x + 9\) and \(64x^2 - 9\) is:

\[ \boxed{8x + 3} \]