Brittney is factoring the expression 18x2 – 15x + 2. Which expression represents one of the factors?

Group of answer choices

(3x – 2)

(2x – 1)

(9x – 1)

(x – 2)

1 answer

To determine which expression represents one of the factors of the quadratic expression \(18x^2 - 15x + 2\), we can first use the method of factoring by grouping or by inspection.

Let's look for factors of \(18x^2 - 15x + 2\).

  1. Identify coefficients:

    • The quadratic is in the form \(ax^2 + bx + c\) where \(a = 18\), \(b = -15\), and \(c = 2\).
  2. Check potential factors:

    • We will check the suggested expressions: \(3x - 2\), \(2x - 1\), \(9x - 1\), and \(x - 2\).
  3. Testing \(3x - 2\): \((3x - 2)(6x - 1)\):

    • \((3x)(6x) = 18x^2\)
    • \((3x)(-1) + (-2)(6x) = -3x - 12x = -15x\)
    • \((-2)(-1) = 2\)
    • This is a valid factorization, \(3x-2\) is indeed a factor.
  4. Testing \(2x - 1\): For completeness, let’s check \(2x - 1\) and other options as well.

    • It might not work directly looking to be a factor since \(18x^2\) would require larger expansions.
  5. Testing \(9x - 1\): \((9x - 1)(2x - 2)\) would lead us away from zero leading or providing outputs that diverge to fit.

  6. Testing \(x - 2\): Those values after calculation do not serve in reaching zero effectively.

Based on the calculations:

Final Choice: \((3x - 2)\) is a factor of \(18x^2 - 15x + 2\).

So, the answer is \(3x - 2\).