Final answer:
The expression 12x + 36x² is factored by taking out the common factor of 12x, resulting in the factored form 12x(1 + 3x).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to factor the expression 12x + 36x². Factoring an expression involves finding an equivalent expression that is written as the product of its factors. In this case, we start by identifying any common factors among the terms. Both terms, 12x and 36x², have a common factor of 12x. We factor this out by dividing each term by 12x:
12x + 36x² = 12x(1 + 3x)
This gives us the factored form of the expression, which is the product of 12x and the binomial (1 + 3x).