Question

GEOMETRY Holly can make an open-topped box out of a square piece of cardboard by cutting 3-inch squares from the corners and folding up the sides to meet. The volume of the resulting box is V = 3x^ 2 – 36x + 108, where x is the original length and width of the cardboard.

Factor the polynomial expression from the volume equation.

HINT: look for a GCF first!

Answer 1

`V(x)=3(x-6)(x-6)`

Explanation:

Polynomial Factoring

The volume of a cardboard box is expressed as:

`V(x)=3x^2-36x+108`

It's required to factor that expression.

First, factor out 3:

`V(x)=3(x^2-12x+36)`

The expression in parentheses is a perfect square:

`\boxed{V(x)=3(x-6)(x-6)}`