According to the Distributive Property, which expression is expression is equivalent to 4x^3 + 8x^2 + 12x?

(2x^2 + 4) (2x - 3)
4x(x^2 + 2x + 3)
4x(4x + 5x)
(2x^2 + 4) (2x^2 + 3)

1 answer

To determine which expression is equivalent to \(4x^3 + 8x^2 + 12x\) using the Distributive Property, we need to factor out a common factor from the expression.

The given expression can be factored as follows: \[ 4x^3 + 8x^2 + 12x = 4x(x^2 + 2x + 3) \]

Now, we can analyze the provided options:

  1. \((2x^2 + 4)(2x - 3)\)
  2. \(4x(x^2 + 2x + 3)\)
  3. \(4x(4x + 5x)\)
  4. \((2x^2 + 4)(2x^2 + 3)\)

The correct equivalent expression is \(4x(x^2 + 2x + 3)\), which is option 2.

Now let's quickly evaluate the others for completeness:

  1. \((2x^2 + 4)(2x - 3)\) does not simplify to the original expression.
  2. \(4x(x^2 + 2x + 3)\) matches our factored expression and is correct.
  3. \(4x(4x + 5x) = 4x(9x) = 36x^2\), which does not match.
  4. \((2x^2 + 4)(2x^2 + 3)\) does not simplify to the original expression.

Thus, the final answer is:

\(4x(x^2 + 2x + 3)\) (Option 2).