Lesson 10.

4B : Factoring out GCMF

Factor Completely – to express as the product

of prime factors
Ex. Factor completely : 24

6 4
2223
2 3 2 2
Factor the following completely:

1) 5x2 2) 14x2y3
GCF of 12 and 18 GCF = 6

GCF of 12x4y3 and 18xy5

GCF = 6xy3

GCMF : Greatest Common Monomial Factor – The

greatest monomial that is a factor (will divide EVENLY
into) of all the given monomials.
 To find the GCMF of two or more Monomials
•First find the GCF of the coefficients
•Find the largest power of each variable that is
COMMON to all the monomials
•The GCMF = product of GCF of coefficients and
common variable factors
 Ex. Find GCMF of 12x2 and 18x

GCF of coefficients = 6
Common variable(s) : only have one x in common
GCMF = 6x

Find GCMF of 21x2 and 35x5

GCF of Coefficients = 7
Common variable factors : two x’s
GCMF = 7x2
Find GCMF of 24x2y3 and 36x3y

GCF of coefficients = 12
Common variable factors : two x’s and one y
GCMF = 12x2y

NOW, we are going to use GCMF’s to Factor

Quadratic Expressions. Factoring Out the GCMF is
the inverse (un-doing) of the Distributive Property
 To factor – undoing distributive property

1) Perform Distributive Property: 6(2 + 3)

12 + 18
Factor : 12 + 18
6 (2 + 3)
2) Use Distributive Property to simplify: 3(x + 7)
3x + 21
Factor: 3x + 21
3(x + 7)
3) Factor: 12x2y – 14xy3
2xy(6x – 7y2)
Ex.Distribute 3x(x + 5) Means to multiply the 3x
3x(x) + 3x(5) through the (x + 5)
3x2 + 15x

Ex. Factor 3x2 + 15x Means to Divide the GCMF

out of the polynomial (divide
each term by GCMF)
GCMF = 23x Recall how to divide by monomial
Divide (3x + 15x) by GCMF (3x)
2
2
3x  15 x 3 x 15 x 3  x  x 3  5  x
    x5
3x 3x 3x 3 x 3 x

Factored form is 3x(x + 5)

To factor a polynomial by factoring out the GCMF:
1) Find the GCMF
2) Divide the polynomial (each term of the
polynomial) by the GCMF
3) Write the polynomial as the product of the
GCMF and the result from step #2
Example: Factor
1) 15x2 – 9
Step 1) GCMF = 3
Step 2) Divide 15x2 – 9 by the GCMF
2 2
15 x  9 15 x 9 2
   5x  3
3 3 3
Step 3) Write as a product of GCMF and result of step 2

3(5x2 – 3)
Factor 2) 15a – 25b + 20
1) 28a3-12a2 GCMF = 5
GCMF = 4a2
Factored Form
Factored Form
5(3a-5b+4)
4a2(7a – 3)

3) 16x5 – 14x3 + 26x2 Factored Form

GCMF = 2x2 2x2(8x3 – 7x + 13)
Homework : Worksheet