FACTORING LINEAR EXPRESSIONS

The following steps will be useful to factor linear expressions. 

Step 1 : 

Find the largest common divisor for all the terms in the expression

Step 2 : 

Divide each term of the expression by the largest common divisor.

Step 3: 

Write the quotients inside the parenthesis. 

Step 4 : 

Write the largest common divisor and the parenthesis together using multiplication. 

Example 1 : 

Factor :

4x + 8

Solution : 

Find the largest common divisors for 4x and 8. 

The largest common divisor for 4x and 8 is 4. 

Divide 4x and 8 by 4

4x/4  =  x

8/4  =  2

Write the quotients x and 2 inside the parenthesis and multiply by the largest common divisor 4.

4(x + 2)

Example 2 : 

Factor :

16a + 64b - 4c

Solution : 

Find the largest common divisors for 16a, 64b and 4c. 

The largest common divisor for  16a, 64b and 4c is 4. 

Divide 16a, 64b and 4c by 4 

16a/4  =  4a

64b/4  =  16b

4c/4  =  c

Write the quotients 4a, 16b and c inside the parenthesis and multiply by the largest common divisor 4.

4(4a + 16b - c)

Example 3 : 

Factor :

36x - 16

Solution : 

Find the largest common divisors for 36x and 16. 

The largest common divisor for 36x and 16 is 4.

Divide 36x and - 16 by 4.

36x/4  =  9x

-16/4  =  -4

Write the quotients 9x and -4 inside the parenthesis and multiply by the largest common divisor 4.

4(9x - 4)

Example 4 : 

Factor :

35 + 21a

Solution : 

Find the largest common divisors for 35 and 21a.

The largest common divisor for 35 and 21a is 7.

Divide each term by 7

35/7  =  5

21a/7  =  3a

Write the quotients 5 and 3a inside the parenthesis and multiply by the largest common divisor 7.

7(5 + 3a)

So, 

35 + 21a  =  7(5 + 3a)

Example 5 : 

Factor : 

4a - 8b + 5ax - 10bx

Solution : 

Since we have four terms, we can group them into two terms

=  4a - 8b + 5ax - 10bx

Common divisor for first two terms, that is 4a and 8b is 4

Common divisor for third and fourth terms, that is 5ax and 10bx is 5x.

Divide first two terms by 4

4a/4  =  1a

- 8b/4  =  -2b

Divide third and fourth terms by 5x

5ax/5x  =  a

-10bx/5x  =  -2b

So, 

=  4(a - 2b) + 5x (a - 2b)

=  (a - 2b) (4 + 5x)

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