Common Factor Extraction Method: Identify the largest free number that we can extract. Then, let's move on to the variables and ask what is the least number of times the X appears in any element? Multiply the free number by the variable the same number of times we have found and we will obtain the greatest common factor.
To verify that you have correctly extracted the common factor, open theparentheses and see if you have returned to the original exercise.
Factoring out the greatest common factor is the first operation we try to carry out when we want to break down an expression into factors. We can remove from the parentheses a factor that is common to both elements and leave inside a simple and comfortable expression. The greatest common factor is the largest factor that is completely common to both elements.
Operation steps for extracting the common factor
Notice which is the largest free number we can extract. Then, let's move on to the unknowns and ask what is the least number of times that X appears in any element? Multiply the free number by the unknown the number of times we have found and we will obtain the greatest common factor. To verify that you have extracted the common factor correctly, open the parentheses and see if you have arrived at the original exercise.
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Let's look at an example of factoring out the common factor from the parentheses.
8x2+4x= Let's see what is the greatest common factor we can take out, the answer is 4. Now let's move on to the variable x. What is the minimum number of times that x appears in any term? The answer is 1. Now let's multiply the common factor obtained by the variable the number of times we have found and it will give us the greatest common factor. That is: 4×x=4x Let's take out4x as the common factor and we will obtain: 4x(2x+1) This is our factorization. When we want to find the solutions we will compare it with0 and it will give us: 4x(2x+1)=0 X=0 2x+1=0 2x=−1 x=−1/2 Therefore: x=0,−1/2
Don't worry, as you practice extracting the common factor you will not need to act according to the operation steps as we taught them, you will do the extraction of the common factor intuitively and quickly.
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Examples and exercises with solutions on factoring by taking out the common factor from the parentheses
Exercise #1
x2−x=0
Video Solution
Step-by-Step Solution
The equation in the problem is:
x2−x=0
First let's note that in the left side we can factor the expression using a common factor, the largest common factor for the numbers and letters in this case is xand this is because the first power is the lowest power in the equation and therefore is included both in the term with the second power and in the term with the first power, any power higher than this is not included in the term with the first power, which is the lowest, and therefore this is the term with the highest power that can be factored out as a common factor from all terms in the expression, so we'll continue and perform the factoring:
x2−x=0↓x(x−1)=0
Let's continue and address the fact that in the left side of the equation we got in the last step there is a multiplication of algebraic expressions and on the right side the number 0, therefore, since the only way to get 0 from multiplication is to multiply by 0, at least one of the expressions in the multiplication on the left side must equal zero,
meaning:
x=0
or:
x−1=0↓x=1
Let's summarize then the solution to the equation:
x2−x=0↓x(x−1)=0↓x=0→x=0x−1=0→x=1↓x=0,1
Therefore the correct answer is answer B.
Answer
x=0,1
Exercise #2
3x2+9x=0
Video Solution
Step-by-Step Solution
The equation in the problem is:
3x2+9x=0
First, let's note that in the left side we can factor the expression using a common factor, the largest common factor for the numbers and letters in this case is 3xbecause the first power is the lowest power in the equation and therefore is included both in the term with the second power and in the term with the first power. Any power higher than this is not included in the term with the first power, which is the lowest, and therefore this is the term with the highest power that can be factored out as a common factor from all terms for the letters,
For the numbers, note that 9 is a multiple of 3, therefore it is the largest common factor for the numbers in both terms of the expression,
Let's continue and perform the factoring:
3x2+9x=0↓3x(x+3)=0
Let's continue and address the fact that on the left side of the equation we obtained in the last step there is a multiplication of algebraic expressions and on the right side the number 0, therefore, since the only way to get 0 from multiplication is to multiply by 0, at least one of the expressions in the multiplication on the left side must equal zero,
Meaning:
3x=0/:3x=0
In solving the above equation, we divided both sides of the equation by the term with the variable,
Or:
x+3=0x=−3
Let's summarize the solution of the equation:
3x2+9x=0↓3x(x+3)=0↓3x=0→x=0x+3=0→x=−3↓x=0,−3
Therefore the correct answer is answer C.
Answer
x=0,x=−3
Exercise #3
4x4−12x3=0
Solve the equation above for x.
Video Solution
Step-by-Step Solution
The equation in the problem is:
4x4−12x3=0
First, let's note that in the left side we can factor the expression using a common factor, the largest common factor for the numbers and variables in this case is 4x3because the third power is the lowest power in the equation and therefore is included in both the term with the fourth power and the term with the third power. Any power higher than this is not included in the term with the third power, which is the lowest, and therefore this is the term with the highest power that can be factored out as a common factor for the variables,
For the numbers, note that 12 is a multiple of 4, therefore 4 is the largest common factor for the numbers in both terms of the expression,
Let's continue and perform the factoring:
4x4−12x3=0↓4x3(x−3)=0
Let's continue and address the fact that in the left side of the equation we obtained in the last step there is a multiplication of algebraic expressions and on the right side the number 0, therefore, since the only way to get 0 from multiplication is to multiply by 0, at least one of the expressions in the multiplication on the left side must equal zero,
Meaning:
4x3=0/:4x3=0/3x=0
In solving the equation above, we first divided both sides of the equation by the term with the unknown and then extracted a cube root for both sides of the equation.
(In this case, extracting an odd root for the right side of the equation yielded one possibility)
Or:
x−3=0x=3
Let's summarize the solution of the equation:
4x4−12x3=0↓4x3(x−3)=0↓4x3=0→x=0x−3=0→x=3↓x=0,3
Therefore the correct answer is answer A.
Answer
x=0,3
Exercise #4
7x10−14x9=0
Video Solution
Step-by-Step Solution
The equation in the problem is:
7x10−14x9=0
First, let's note that in the left side we can factor the expression using a common factor, the largest common factor for the numbers and variables in this case is 7x9since the ninth power is the lowest power in the equation and therefore is included in both the term with the tenth power and the term with the ninth power. Any power higher than this is not included in the term with the ninth power, which is the lowest, and therefore this is the term with the highest power that can be factored out as a common factor from all terms for the variables,
For the numbers, note that 14 is a multiple of 7, therefore 7 is the largest common factor for the numbers in both terms of the expression,
Let's continue and perform the factoring:
7x10−14x9=0↓7x9(x−2)=0
Let's continue and address the fact that on the left side of the equation we obtained in the last step there is a multiplication of algebraic expressions and on the right side the number 0, therefore, since the only way to get a result of 0 from multiplication is to multiply by 0, at least one of the expressions in the multiplication on the left side must equal zero,
Meaning:
7x9=0/:7x9=0/9x=0
In solving the equation above, we first divided both sides of the equation by the term with the variable, and then we extracted a ninth root from both sides of the equation.
(In this case, extracting an odd root from the right side of the equation yielded one possibility)
First, let's note that in the left side we can factor the expression using a common factor, the largest common factor for the numbers and letters in this case is x2since the second power is the lowest power in the equation and therefore is included both in the term with the third power and in the term with the second power. Any power higher than this is not included in the term with the second power, which is the lowest, and therefore this is the term with the highest power that can be factored out as a common factor from all terms in the expression, so we'll continue and perform the factoring:
7x3−x2=0↓x2(7x−1)=0
Let's continue and address the fact that in the left side of the equation we got in the last step there is a multiplication of algebraic expressions and on the right side the number 0, therefore, since the only way to get 0 from multiplication is to multiply by 0, at least one of the expressions in the multiplication on the left side must equal zero,
meaning:
x2=0/x=±0x=0(in this case taking the even root of the right side of the equation will indeed yield two possibilities, positive and negative, but since we're dealing with zero, we'll get only one possibility)
or:
7x−1=0Let's solve this equation to get the additional solutions (if they exist) to the given equation:
We got a simple first-degree equation which we'll solve by isolating the unknown on one side, we'll do this by moving terms and then dividing both sides of the equation by the coefficient of the unknown: