To factor \(-15 - 25\) using the greatest common factor (GCF), we first need to find the GCF of the coefficients \(-15\) and \(-25\).
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List the factors of each term:
- Factors of \(-15\): \(-3, -5, 1, 3, 5, 15\)
- Factors of \(-25\): \(-1, -5, 1, 5, 25\)
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The GCF is the largest factor that both numbers share, which is \(-5\) in this case.
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Now, we can factor out \(-5\) from the expression: \[ -15 - 25 = -5(3 + 5) \]
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Simplifying inside the parentheses: \[ -15 - 25 = -5(8) \]
Thus, the factored form of \(-15 - 25\) is: \[ -5(8) \]
Alternatively, if you simply wanted to express the sum as a factored expression, it would just be written as: \[ -5(3 + 5) \] or \(-5(8)\).
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