Notes 2.

1 Factoring by GCF and Grouping

Objective 1: What is a factor? What does it mean to factor?

Factor: verb The process of finding an equivalent expression where smaller polynomials
(pieces) are multiplied together instead of added or subtracted

(**going the

opposite

direction of

_______________

Objective 2: Factor out the GCF of a polynomial.

Step 1:

Identify the GCF of the polynomial.

Divide the GCF out of every term of

the polynomial.
Step 2:

NOTES:

The GCF stays!

You should always be able to multiply
everything together to get back
where you started!

1. 9a4b3 + 15a3b2 3a2b

2.

72x4 24x2 + 32

3.

42a 3b5 + 60a2b3 48a2b2

Objective 3: Factor a polynomial by grouping

2x3 + 10x2 + 3x + 15

Group terms together by twos or

threes.
Step 1:

Factor out a GCF from each separate

binomial.
Step 2:

Step 3:

Factor out the common binomial.

1. 4w + w3 7w2 28

2.

y3 y2 3y + 3

3.

k 5 k4 + 3k3 + 2k2 2k + 6

Factor each of the following using a GCF.

1.)

18 x 4 27 x 3 15 x 2

5 x 6 y 2 20 y 3 12 x 7
2.)

8 x 7 y 5 14 x 4 y 8 10 x 2 y 6
3.)

Factor each of the following by grouping.

4.)

7.)

9 x 3 18 x 2 4 x 8

x 3 x 2 16 x 16

10.)

12.)

2 x 3 12 x 2 5 x 30

5.)

8.)

16 x 3 48 x 2 x 3

x 3 5 x 2 9 x 45

11.)

2 x 5 2 x 4 10 x 3 10 x 2 4 x 4

12 x 5 4 x 4 6 x 3 2 x 2 3 x 1

6.)

9.)

4x 3 4x 2 9x 9

x3 2x 2 4x 8