Factoring 3x² + 12x: Finding the Common Factor Step-by-Step

We factored the expression $3x^2 + 12x$ into its basic terms:

$3 \cdot x \cdot x + 12 \cdot x$

Take out the common factor from the factored expression

To factor the expression $3x^2 + 12x$, we start by looking for the greatest common factor (GCF) of the terms $3x^2$ and $12x$. The GCF is $3x$. We can factor out $3x$ from each term:

$3x^2+12x=\blue3\cdot \orange x\cdot x+\blue 3\cdot4\cdot \orange x$.

This allows us to write the expression as $3x(x + 4)$.