To factor the expression \( 18x^3y^4 + 12x^5y^2 \), we need to find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the coefficients and the variable terms.
- Coefficients: The GCF of 18 and 12 is 6.
- Variable Terms:
- For \(x\), the smallest exponent is 3 (from \(x^3\)).
- For \(y\), the smallest exponent is 2 (from \(y^2\)).
Thus, the GCF of the entire expression is \(6x^3y^2\).
Now we can factor this out:
\[ 18x^3y^4 + 12x^5y^2 = 6x^3y^2(3y^2 + 2x^2) \]
Therefore, the correct response is:
6x³y²(3y² + 2x²)