To factor the expression \(8a + 4b\), we can find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the coefficients \(8\) and \(4\), which is \(4\).
Now we can factor \(4\) out of the expression:
\[ 8a + 4b = 4(2a + b) \]
Thus, the factored form of the expression is:
\[ 4(2a + b) \]
Here, \(4\) is the whole number greater than \(1\).