Final answer:
x + 12 is a factor of the function f(x) = x^2 + 6x - 72.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if x + 12 is a factor of the function f(x) = x + 6x - 72, we need to check if the function evaluated at x = -12 equals zero. Plugging in x = -12 into the function, we get (-12)^2 + 6(-12) - 72 = 144 - 72 - 72 = 0. Since the function evaluates to zero at x = -12, we can conclude that x + 12 is indeed a factor of the function.