Factorize the Expression: (16xy/z + 40x/yz - 56x²/yz²)

Factoring Rational Expressions with Multiple Variables

Decompose the following expression into factors:

16xyz+40xyz56x2yz2 \frac{16xy}{z}+\frac{40x}{yz}-\frac{56x^2}{yz^2}

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Factor into components
00:04 Let's factor 16 into components 8 and 2
00:09 Let's factor 40 into components 8 and 5
00:16 Let's factor 56 into components 7 and 8
00:19 Let's factor the square into products
00:30 Let's mark the common factors
01:07 Let's take out the common factors from the parentheses
01:17 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:

16xyz+40xyz56x2yz2 \frac{16xy}{z}+\frac{40x}{yz}-\frac{56x^2}{yz^2}

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll proceed with the following steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the greatest common factor in the expression.
  • Step 2: Factor out this common factor from each term.
  • Step 3: Simplify the resulting expression inside the parentheses.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: The expression given is
16xyz+40xyz56x2yz2 \frac{16xy}{z}+\frac{40x}{yz}-\frac{56x^2}{yz^2} .
First, identify the greatest common factor (GCF) from the numerators and the highest common power in the denominators:

  • The coefficients of the terms are 1616, 4040, and 5656, with a GCF of 88.
  • The common variable in the numerators is xx.
  • The shared parts of the denominators are zz.

Thus, the GCF for the entire expression with terms considered is:

8xz \frac{8x}{z} .

Step 2: Factor out 8xz\frac{8x}{z} from the expression:

8xz(16xy8x40x8xy+56x28xy2)8xz(2y+5y7xyz) \frac{8x}{z} \left( \frac{16xy}{8x}-\frac{40x}{8x}y+\frac{56x^{2}}{8x}y^{2} \right) \equiv \frac{8x}{z}(2y + \frac{5}{y} - \frac{7x}{yz}) .

Step 3: The expression in the parentheses should now be simplified:
After factoring, the expression inside the parentheses becomes 2y+5y7xyz2y+\frac{5}{y}-\frac{7x}{yz}.

Therefore, the factored form of the original expression is:

8xz(2y+5y7xyz) \frac{8x}{z}(2y+\frac{5}{y}-\frac{7x}{yz}) .

3

Final Answer

8xz(2y+5y7xyz) \frac{8x}{z}(2y+\frac{5}{y}-\frac{7x}{yz})

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • GCF Rule: Find common factor from numerators and denominators separately
  • Technique: Factor out 8xz \frac{8x}{z} from 16xyz \frac{16xy}{z} to get 2y
  • Check: Multiply factored form back: 8xz2y=16xyz \frac{8x}{z} \cdot 2y = \frac{16xy}{z}

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Factoring numerators and denominators separately without considering the whole fraction
    Don't factor just coefficients like 8 from (16, 40, 56) and ignore denominators = incomplete factoring! This misses the fractional structure and leads to incorrect simplified terms. Always identify the GCF of the entire rational expression including both numerator and denominator parts.

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

Why is the GCF 8xz \frac{8x}{z} and not just 8x?

+

The GCF must include denominators too! Since all terms have z in the denominator, we factor out 1z \frac{1}{z} along with 8x to get 8xz \frac{8x}{z} .

How do I handle the different powers of variables in denominators?

+

Look for the lowest power that appears in all terms. Here, z appears as z¹, z¹, and z², so we factor out z¹ (just z). The remaining z in the third term stays inside the parentheses.

What if I get confused by all the fractions?

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Write each term with a common denominator first! Convert to 16xyz,40xyz,56x2yz2 \frac{16xy}{z}, \frac{40x}{yz}, \frac{56x^2}{yz^2} , then factor systematically.

How can I check if my factoring is correct?

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Expand your answer! Multiply 8xz \frac{8x}{z} by each term in the parentheses. If you get back to the original expression, you're right!

Why does the answer have 7xyz \frac{7x}{yz} instead of just 7x 7x ?

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After factoring out 8xz \frac{8x}{z} , the remaining part of 56x2yz2 \frac{56x^2}{yz^2} is 7xyz \frac{7x}{yz} . The extra yz comes from what's left over in the denominator after factoring.

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