Decompose the Expression: xy/2 + x/4y into Factors

Question

Decompose the following expression into factors:

xy2+x4y \frac{xy}{2}+\frac{x}{4y}

Video Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

To factor the expression xy2+x4y \frac{xy}{2}+\frac{x}{4y} , we proceed as follows:

  • Step 1: Identify the common factor between the terms.
  • Step 2: Factor out the common factor.
  • Step 3: Simplify the expression inside the parentheses.

Let's break this down:
Step 1: The expression is xy2+x4y\frac{xy}{2} + \frac{x}{4y}. Clearly, both terms share x2 \frac{x}{2} as a common factor.
Step 2: Factor out x2 \frac{x}{2} from each term:
- From the first term: xy2=x2×y \frac{xy}{2} = \frac{x}{2} \times y .
- From the second term: x4y=x2×12y \frac{x}{4y} = \frac{x}{2} \times \frac{1}{2y} .
Step 3: This gives us:
xy2+x4y=x2(y+12y) \frac{xy}{2} + \frac{x}{4y} = \frac{x}{2}(y + \frac{1}{2y})

Thus, the expression can be decomposed into factors as x2(y+12y) \frac{x}{2}(y+\frac{1}{2y}) .

Answer

x2(y+12y) \frac{x}{2}(y+\frac{1}{2y})