College

Apply the distributive property to factor out the greatest common factor.

[tex] 12 + 20 = \square [/tex]

Answer :

To factor out the greatest common factor using the distributive property, follow these steps:

1. Identify the Numbers: In this problem, we are working with the numbers 12 and 20.

2. Find the Greatest Common Factor (GCF): The greatest common factor is the largest number that divides both numbers without leaving a remainder.

- The factors of 12 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
- The factors of 20 are: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20

The greatest common factor of 12 and 20 is 4.

3. Use the Distributive Property to Factor: Now that we have the GCF, use it to factor the expression:

- Divide both numbers by the GCF:

- [tex]\( 12 \div 4 = 3 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( 20 \div 4 = 5 \)[/tex]

4. Write the Factored Expression: Put the expression in the form of the GCF multiplied by the sum of the divided terms.

- [tex]\( 12 + 20 = 4(3 + 5) \)[/tex]

So, the expression 12 + 20 can be factored as [tex]\( 4(3 + 5) \)[/tex].