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Help Please!!

A student used factor by grouping to factor the expression below. How can you tell that the student made an error when​ factoring? Explain the error.

​Student's work: ​ 6x² ​ – x​ – 12
6x² ​ – 9x​ + 8x ​ – 12
​ 3x(2x ​ – 3)​ – 4(–2x​ +3)

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User Sswwqqaa
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1 Answer

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Explanation:

the point and goal is to come up with a series of multiplications of terms that is equivalent to the original sum of terms.

in doing so, we try to find the same common factors in the sub-groups we are building.

so, the error was to use "-" with the last term, as this "destroyed" the common factor.

it should have been

3x(2x - 3) + 4(2x - 3)

which gives us via the common terms

(2x - 3)(3x + 4)

that is the correct factoring.