College

Factor the GCF out of the polynomial below:

[tex]20x^6 + 12x^4 + 8x^3[/tex]

Include both the GCF and the remaining polynomial in your solution.

Answer :

To factor the greatest common factor (GCF) out of the polynomial [tex]\(20x^6 + 12x^4 + 8x^3\)[/tex], follow these steps:

1. Identify the GCF of the coefficients:

- The coefficients of the polynomial are 20, 12, and 8.
- The GCF of 20, 12, and 8 is 4. This is the largest number that divides all of them evenly.

2. Identify the common variable factor:

- The terms in the polynomial are [tex]\(x^6\)[/tex], [tex]\(x^4\)[/tex], and [tex]\(x^3\)[/tex].
- The lowest power of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] common to all terms is [tex]\(x^3\)[/tex].

3. Combine the GCF of the coefficients and the common variable factor:

- The overall GCF of the polynomial is [tex]\(4x^3\)[/tex].

4. Factor the GCF out of the polynomial:

- Divide each term of the polynomial by the GCF [tex]\(4x^3\)[/tex]:

- [tex]\(20x^6 \div 4x^3 = 5x^3\)[/tex]
- [tex]\(12x^4 \div 4x^3 = 3x\)[/tex]
- [tex]\(8x^3 \div 4x^3 = 2\)[/tex]

5. Write the factored form:

- The polynomial can be rewritten by factoring out the GCF:
[tex]\[
20x^6 + 12x^4 + 8x^3 = 4x^3(5x^3 + 3x + 2)
\][/tex]

In this solution, the GCF is [tex]\(4x^3\)[/tex] and the remaining polynomial after factoring out the GCF is [tex]\(5x^3 + 3x + 2\)[/tex].