Exercise 3.

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Find the highest common factor of each of the following pairs of terms:
3a and 6a 4ef and 8fg
The factors of 3a are: 3, a The factors of 4ef are: 2, 4, e, f
The factors of 6a are: 2, 3, 6, a The factors of 6a are: 2, 4, 8, f, g

The highest common factor = 3a The highest common factor = 4f

1 3x and 6x 2 4a and 8ab 3 6ab and 10a
4 4b and 6ab 5 3xy and 9y 6 5s + 10d
7 3g and 12 8 12e and 4 9 8ab and 12abc
10 6p and 14pq 11 4p and 16 12 8a and 2b
13 6 and 12y 14 5xy and 15yz 15 15ef and 27fg
16 16g and 8 17 16h and 64hij 18 14rt and 35t

Exercise 3.13
Factorise the following algebraic expressions:
2 + 4x = 2×1 + 2×2x 4m + 12mn = 4m×1 + 4m×3n
= 2(1 + 2x) = 4m(1 + 3n) = 2b(3 – 5a)

Check: Check: Check:

2(1 + 2x) = 2 + 4x 4m(1 + 3n) = 4m + 12mn

1 3 + 6x 2 4a + 8ab 3
4 4b + 6ab 5 6 5s + 10d
7 8 12e + 4 9 8ab + 12abc
10 6p + 14pq 11 12 8a + 2b
13 6 + 12y 14 15 15ef + 27fg
16 17 16h + 64hij 18 14rt + 35t

Chapter 3 Algebra 41
 Factorising

Exercise 3.14
Find the highest common factor of each of the following pairs of terms:
4v and 6v 4ef and 8fg
The factors of 4v are: 2, 4, v The factors of 4ef are: 2, 4, e, f
The factors of 6a are: 2, 3, 6, v The factors of 8fg are: 2, 4, 8, f, g
The negative sign is common
The highest common factor = 2v
The highest common factor = –4f

1 4x and 6x 2 4a and 10ab 3 2xy and 10y

4 4b and 8ab 5 3ay and 9y 6 5s + 10d
7 6g and 10 8 15e and 3 9 8df and 12adf
10 6p and 14pq 11 3m and 18 12 4a and 2b

1 6 2 4a + 10ab 3
4 4b + 8ab 5 6 5s + 10d
7 8 15e + 3e 9 8df + 12adf
10 11 3m + 18 12
13 8 + 12u 14 5mn + 15no 15
16 17 18
See Exercise 3.8
for an example.
Exercise 3.16
Use substitution to check if the following expressions are equivalent:
1 2x + 6 = 2(x + 3) 2
3 7(a + 4) 4
5 6 5a(1 + 4)
2
7 8 48y + 6y = 6y(8y + 1)

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