Factor the Expression: 21ab - 63a²/b - 14ba²

Factoring Expressions with Fractional Terms

Decompose the following expression into factors:

21ab63a2b14ba2 21ab-\frac{63a^2}{b}-14ba^2

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Factor into components
00:03 Let's factor 21 into components 7 and 3
00:11 Let's factor 63 into components 7 and 9
00:17 Let's factor 14 into components 7 and 2
00:24 Let's factor the square into products
00:48 Let's mark the common factors
01:36 Let's take out the common factors from the parentheses
01:46 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Decompose the following expression into factors:

21ab63a2b14ba2 21ab-\frac{63a^2}{b}-14ba^2

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve the problem of decomposing the expression 21ab63a2b14ba2 21ab - \frac{63a^2}{b} - 14ba^2 into factors, we will follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the Greatest Common Factor (GCF).
  • Step 2: Factor out the GCF.
  • Step 3: Verify the result by expanding to check that it matches the original expression.

Let's go through each step:

Step 1: Find the GCF of the terms. Examine each term in the expression:

- The three terms are 21ab 21ab , 63a2b -\frac{63a^2}{b} , and 14ba2 -14ba^2 .
- The coefficients 21 21 , 631 \frac{63}{1} , and 14 14 share a common factor of 7 7 .
- The variables a a and b b are present in each term. Each term has at least one a a and one b b .
- Thus, the GCF is 7ab 7ab .

Step 2: Factor out the GCF 7ab 7ab from the expression:

21ab=7ab×3 21ab = 7ab \times 3
63a2b=7ab×(9ab2) -\frac{63a^2}{b} = 7ab \times \left(-\frac{9a}{b^2}\right)
14ba2=7ab×(2a) -14ba^2 = 7ab \times (-2a)

Combining these, the expression factors as:

7ab(39ab22a) 7ab(3 - \frac{9a}{b^2} - 2a)

Step 3: Verify by expanding the factored expression:

- Expanding 7ab(39ab22a) 7ab(3 - \frac{9a}{b^2} - 2a) :
7ab×3=21ab 7ab \times 3 = 21ab
7ab×(9ab2)=63a2b 7ab \times \left(-\frac{9a}{b^2}\right) = -\frac{63a^2}{b}
7ab×(2a)=14ba2 7ab \times (-2a) = -14ba^2

These match the original expression, confirming the factorization is correct.

Therefore, the solution to the problem is 7ab(39ab22a) 7ab(3-\frac{9a}{b^2}-2a) .

3

Final Answer

7ab(39ab22a) 7ab(3-\frac{9a}{b^2}-2a)

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • GCF Rule: Find common factors in coefficients and variables
  • Technique: Factor out 7ab from each term systematically
  • Check: Expand factored form to verify it matches original expression ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Ignoring denominators when finding GCF
    Don't factor out variables from fractional terms without adjusting the denominator = incorrect factorization! The fraction -63a²/b has 'b' in denominator, so factoring 'b' changes the term structure. Always account for how variables in denominators affect the remaining expression.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Break down the expression into basic terms:

\( 4x^2 + 6x \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

How do I handle the fraction when finding the GCF?

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Look at 63a2b -\frac{63a^2}{b} carefully! The numerator contains 63a2 63a^2 , so you can factor out 7a 7a from it. The denominator b b also contributes one factor of b b to the GCF.

Why is the GCF 7ab and not something else?

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Check each term: 21ab 21ab has factors 7×3×a×b, 63a2/b 63a^2/b has 7×9×a×a in numerator with b in denominator, and 14ba2 14ba^2 has 7×2×b×a×a. The common factors are 7, a, and b.

How do I factor out from a fraction like -63a²/b?

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When you factor 7ab 7ab from 63a2b -\frac{63a^2}{b} , write it as 7ab×(9ab2) 7ab \times \left(-\frac{9a}{b^2}\right) . The remaining factor has b2 b^2 in denominator because you factored out one b b .

What if my factored form doesn't expand back correctly?

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This means you made an error! Go back and check: Did you factor the GCF correctly from each term? Did you handle the fraction properly? Always verify by expanding your final answer.

Can I rearrange the terms before factoring?

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Yes! You can write 21ab14ba263a2b 21ab - 14ba^2 - \frac{63a^2}{b} since addition/subtraction is commutative. Just keep track of the negative signs when factoring.

Is there only one correct way to factor this expression?

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The complete factorization using the GCF is unique, but you might write equivalent forms. For example, 2a -2a and 2ab/b -2ab/b are the same. The key is factoring out the greatest common factor completely.

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