Asked by Kell
what is the first step in rewriting a sum using the distributive property and gcf?
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
The first step is to find the greatest common factor (GCF) of all the terms.
How to do that:
- Compare the numerical coefficients and choose their largest common divisor.
- For variables, take each variable to the smallest power that appears in every term.
- Factor that GCF out of each term (write each term as GCF × remaining factor).
Example: for 6x^3 + 9x^2, the GCF is 3x^2, so factor: 6x^3 + 9x^2 = 3x^2(2x + 3).
(Optionally you can factor out a negative GCF if you want the first term inside the parentheses to be positive.)
How to do that:
- Compare the numerical coefficients and choose their largest common divisor.
- For variables, take each variable to the smallest power that appears in every term.
- Factor that GCF out of each term (write each term as GCF × remaining factor).
Example: for 6x^3 + 9x^2, the GCF is 3x^2, so factor: 6x^3 + 9x^2 = 3x^2(2x + 3).
(Optionally you can factor out a negative GCF if you want the first term inside the parentheses to be positive.)
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