High School

Factor the trinomial: [tex]2x^5 + 28x^4 + 66x^3[/tex].

**Part 1 of 2:**

Factor out the GCF: [tex]2x^5 + 28x^4 + 66x^3 = \square[/tex]

Answer :

To factor the trinomial [tex]\(2x^5 + 28x^4 + 66x^3\)[/tex], we start by finding the greatest common factor (GCF) of all the terms.

1. Identify the GCF of the coefficients:
- The coefficients of the terms are 2, 28, and 66.
- The GCF of 2, 28, and 66 is 2, as it is the largest number that divides all three coefficients.

2. Identify the smallest power of [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
- The powers of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] in the terms are 5, 4, and 3.
- The smallest power is [tex]\(x^3\)[/tex].

3. Factor out the GCF and the smallest power of [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
- The GCF of the entire expression is [tex]\(2x^3\)[/tex].
- We factor [tex]\(2x^3\)[/tex] out of each term:

[tex]\[
2x^5 + 28x^4 + 66x^3 = 2x^3(x^2) + 2x^3(14x) + 2x^3(33)
\][/tex]

4. Write the factored expression:

[tex]\[
2x^5 + 28x^4 + 66x^3 = 2x^3(x^2 + 14x + 33)
\][/tex]

So, the factored expression is [tex]\(2x^3(x^2 + 14x + 33)\)[/tex].