To find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the expression \( 24x^3y^4 - 15xy^2 - 36x^2y^3 \), we need to identify the GCF for the coefficients (numerical parts) and the variables separately.
Step 1: Find the GCF of the coefficients.
The coefficients are: 24, -15, and -36.
- The factors of 24 are: \( 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 \)
- The factors of 15 are: \( 1, 3, 5, 15 \)
- The factors of 36 are: \( 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36 \)
The common factors are: \( 1, 3 \).
So the GCF of the coefficients is \( 3 \).
Step 2: Find the GCF of the variable parts.
For \( x \):
- The terms have \( x^3, x^1, x^2 \).
- The smallest exponent is \( x^1 \).
For \( y \):
- The terms have \( y^4, y^2, y^3 \).
- The smallest exponent is \( y^2 \).
Combining these results, the GCF for the variable parts is \( xy^2 \).
Step 3: Combine the GCF of the coefficients and variables.
Thus, the GCF of the entire expression is: \[ 3xy^2 \]
The correct response is therefore:
3xy²