Factor the Expression: Breaking Down 2x³ + 4y⁴ + 8z⁵

Factoring Polynomials with Greatest Common Factor

Factor the following expression:

2x3+4y4+8z5 2x^3+4y^4+8z^5

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:09 Let's learn how to take out the common factor from the equation.
00:18 Let's break 4 into two factors, which are 2 and 2.
00:25 Now, let's factor 8 into 4 and 2.
00:33 Notice the common factor in these numbers.
00:39 Use different colors to show the common parts and the remaining parts.
00:50 Now, remove the common factor from inside the parentheses.
01:05 And that's how we find the solution. Well done!

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Factor the following expression:

2x3+4y4+8z5 2x^3+4y^4+8z^5

2

Step-by-step solution

In order solve the problem of factoring the following expression 2x3+4y4+8z5 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5 , we will identify and factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) from the terms. This process involves the following steps:

  • Identify the coefficients of each term: The coefficients are 2 for 2x3 2x^3 , 4 for 4y4 4y^4 , and 8 for 8z5 8z^5 .

  • Determine the GCF of the numbers 2, 4, and 8. The greatest common factor is 2.

  • Factor out the GCF from each term in the expression:

Let's apply this step:

Initially, our expression is 2x3+4y4+8z5 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5 .

Factoring out the GCF of 2, we rewrite each term:

  • 2x3=2x3 2x^3 = 2 \cdot x^3

  • 4y4=22y4 4y^4 = 2 \cdot 2y^4

  • 8z5=24z5 8z^5 = 2 \cdot 4z^5

Thus, the expression becomes:

2(x3+2y4+4z5) 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5)

We have successfully factored the expression by removing the GCF, 2, resulting in 2(x3+2y4+4z5) 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5) .

Therefore, the final factorized expression is 2(x3+2y4+4z5) 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5) .

3

Final Answer

2(x3+2y4+4z5) 2(x^3+2y^4+4z^5)

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • GCF Rule: Find largest number that divides all coefficients evenly
  • Technique: Factor out 2: 2x3+4y4+8z5=2(x3+2y4+4z5) 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5 = 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5)
  • Check: Distribute back: 2(x3+2y4+4z5)=2x3+4y4+8z5 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5) = 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Factoring out wrong GCF from coefficients
    Don't factor out 4 from 2x³ + 4y⁴ + 8z⁵ = wrong factorization! The number 2 doesn't divide evenly by 4, so you can't factor out 4 from all terms. Always find the largest number that divides ALL coefficients: GCF(2,4,8) = 2.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Break down the expression into basic terms:

\( 2x^2 \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

How do I find the GCF of 2, 4, and 8?

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List the factors of each number: 2: 1, 2 | 4: 1, 2, 4 | 8: 1, 2, 4, 8. The largest number that appears in all lists is 2, so GCF = 2.

Why can't I factor out variables like x, y, or z?

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Variables can only be factored out if they appear in every single term. Since 2x3+4y4+8z5 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5 has different variables in each term, there's no common variable factor.

What if the GCF is 1?

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If GCF = 1, the expression is already in its simplest factored form. You cannot factor it further using the GCF method, but there might be other factoring techniques available.

How do I check my factored answer?

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Use the distributive property to multiply back: 2(x3+2y4+4z5)=2x3+4y4+8z5 2(x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5) = 2x^3 + 4y^4 + 8z^5 . If you get the original expression, your factoring is correct!

Can I factor this expression further?

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After factoring out the GCF of 2, the remaining expression x3+2y4+4z5 x^3 + 2y^4 + 4z^5 cannot be factored further because the terms have different variables and no common factors.

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