High School

Factor out the GCF from the polynomial:

\[ 28x^2 + 16x^5 - 20x^6 + 12 \]

Write your answer in factored form.

Answer :

Factoring out the GCF, the polynomial's factored form is 28x²+16x⁵-20x⁶+12 = 4x²(7 + 4x³ - 5x⁴ + 3).

To factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) from the polynomial 28x² + 16x⁵ - 20x⁶ + 12, follow these steps:

  • Identify the GCF of the coefficients: The coefficients are 28, 16, -20, and 12. The GCF of these numbers is 4.

  • Determine the smallest power of x present in each term: The terms are 28x², 16x⁵, -20x⁶, and 12. The smallest power of x present is x² because 12 can be considered as 12x⁰.

  • Combine the GCF of the coefficients and the smallest power of x to get the overall GCF: The GCF is 4x².

  • Factor out the GCF from each term of the polynomial:
    4x²(7 + 4x³ - 5x⁴ + 3)

Therefore, the factored form of the polynomial 28x² + 16x⁵ - 20x⁶ + 12 is 4x²(7 + 4x³ - 5x⁴ + 3).