Chapter 6 01

6 Factoring and Applications
Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Section 6.1 Slide 1
6.1 Factors; The Greatest Common Factor
Objectives
1. Find the greatest common factor of a list of
numbers.
2. Find the greatest common factor of a list of
variable terms.
3. Factor out the greatest common factor.
4. Factor by grouping.
Find the Greatest Common Factor of a List of Numbers
The greatest common factor (GCF) of a list of integers

is the largest common factor of those integers. This
means 6 is the greatest common factor of 18 and 24,
since it is the largest of their common factors.
Note
Factors of a number are also divisors of the number.
The greatest common factor is the same as the
greatest common divisor.
Example 1
Find the greatest common factor for each list of numbers.
(a) 36, 60
First write each number in prime factored form.
36 = 2 · 2 · 3 · 3 60 = 2 · 2 · 3 · 5
Use each prime the least number of times it appears in all the
factored forms. Here, the factored forms share two 2’s and one 3.
Thus,
GCF = 2 · 2 · 3 = 12.
Example 1 (continued)
(b) 18, 90, 126

Find the prime factored form of each number.
18 = 2 · 3 · 3 90 = 2 · 3 · 3 · 5 126 = 2 · 3 · 3 · 7
All factored forms share one 2 and two 3’s. Thus,
GCF = 2 · 3 · 3 = 18.
Example 1 (concluded)
(c) 48, 61, 72

48 = 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 · 3 61 = 1 · 61 72 = 2 · 2 · 2 · 3 · 3
There are no primes common to all three numbers, so the
GCF is 1.
GCF = 1
Find the Greatest Common Factor for Variable Terms
Note
The exponent on a variable in the GCF is the least
exponent that appears on that variable in all the terms.
Example 2
Find the greatest common factor for each list of terms.
(a) 12x2, –30x5

12x2 = 2 · 2 · 3 · x2 –30x5 = –1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · x5
First, 6 is the GCF of 12 and –30. The least exponent on x is 2
(x5 = x2 · x3). Thus,
GCF = 6x2.
Find the greatest common factor for each list of terms.
(b) –x5y2, –x4y3, –x8y6, –x7

–x5y2, –x4y3, –x8y6, –x7
There is no y in the last term. So, y will not appear in the GCF.
There is an x in each term, and 4 is the least exponent on x. Thus,
GCF = x4.
Note In a list of negative terms, sometimes a negative

common factor is preferable (even though it is not the
greatest common factor). In (b) above, we might prefer
–x4 as the common factor.
Finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF)

Step 1 Factor. Write each number in prime factored form.
Step 2 List common factors. List each prime number or
each variable that is a factor of every term in the
list. (If a prime does not appear in one of the prime
factored forms, it cannot appear in the greatest
common factor.)
Step 3 Choose least exponents. Use as exponents on
the common prime factors the least exponents from
the prime factored forms.
Step 4 Multiply. Multiply the primes from Step 3. If there
are no primes left after Step 3, the
greatest common factor is 1.
Factor Out the Greatest Common Factor
CAUTION
The polynomial 3m + 12 is not in factored form when
written as the sum
3 · m + 3 · 4. Not in factored form
The terms are factored, but the polynomial is not.

The factored form of 3m + 12 is the product
3(m + 4). In factored form
Example 3
Factor out the greatest common factor.
(a) 24x5 – 40x3 = 8x3(3x2) – 8x3(5) GCF = 8x3

= 8x3(3x2 – 5)
Note If the terms inside the parentheses still have a common

factor, then you did not factor out the greatest common factor
in the previous step.
(b) 4x6y4– 20x4y3 + x2y2 = x2y2(4x4y2) – x2y2(20x2y) + x2y2(1)
= x2y2(4x4y2 – 20x2y +1)
CAUTION
Be sure to include the 1 in a problem like Example 3(b).
Check that the factored form can be multiplied out to
give the original polynomial.
Example 4
Factor – 3x5 – 15x3 + 6x2.
– 3x5 – 15x3 + 6x2 = – 3x2(x3 + 5x – 2)GCF = – 3x2
Note
Whenever we factor a polynomial in which the coefficient of
the first term is negative, we will factor out the negative
common factor, even if it is just –1.
Example 5
w2(z4– 3) + 5(z4 – 3)
Here, the binomial z4 – 3 is the GCF.

w2(z4– 3) + 5(z4 – 3) = (z4– 3)(w2 + 5)
Factor By Grouping
Example 6
Factor by grouping.
6x + 4xy – 10y – 15
If we leave the terms grouped as they are, we could try factoring
out the GCF from each pair of terms.
6x + 4xy – 10y – 15 = 2x(3 + 2y) – 5(2y + 3)
This works, showing a common binomial of 2y + 3 in each
term.
6x + 4xy – 10y – 15 = 2x(2y + 3) – 5(2y + 3)
= (2y + 3)(2x – 5)
Factor By Grouping
CAUTION
Be careful with signs when grouping in a problem
like Example 6. It is wise to check the factoring in the
second step, before continuing.
Factor By Grouping
Factoring a Polynomial with Four Terms by Grouping

Step 1 Group terms. Collect the terms into two groups so
that each group has a common factor.
Step 2 Factor within groups. Factor out the greatest
common factor from each group.
Step 3 Factor the entire polynomial. Factor a common
binomial factor from the results of Step 2.
Step 4 If necessary, rearrange terms. If Step 2 does not
result in a common binomial factor, try a
different grouping.
Factor By Grouping
Example 7
Factor by grouping.
10a2 – 12b + 15a – 8ab

Working as before, we get
10a2 – 12b + 15a – 8ab = 2(5a2 – 6b) + a(15 – 8b)
This does not work. These two factored terms have no binomial
in common. So, we will group another way.
Factor By Grouping
Factor by grouping.
10a2 – 12b + 15a – 8ab = 10a2 – 8ab + 15a – 12b
= 2a(5a – 4b) + 3(5a – 4b)
This works, showing a common binomial of 5a – 4b in each

term. Thus,
10a2 – 12b + 15a – 8ab = (5a – 4b)(2a + 3)

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6 Factoring and Applications

The greatest common factor (GCF) of a list of integers

(b) 18, 90, 126

(c) 48, 61, 72

(a) 12x2, –30x5

(b) –x5y2, –x4y3, –x8y6, –x7

Note In a list of negative terms, sometimes a negative

Finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF)

The terms are factored, but the polynomial is not.

(a) 24x5 – 40x3 = 8x3(3x2) – 8x3(5) GCF = 8x3

Note If the terms inside the parentheses still have a common

(b) 4x6y4– 20x4y3 + x2y2 = x2y2(4x4y2) – x2y2(20x2y) + x2y2(1)

= x2y2(4x4y2 – 20x2y +1)

– 3x5 – 15x3 + 6x2 = – 3x2(x3 + 5x – 2)GCF = – 3x2

Here, the binomial z4 – 3 is the GCF.

Factoring a Polynomial with Four Terms by Grouping

10a2 – 12b + 15a – 8ab

This works, showing a common binomial of 5a – 4b in each

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