Final answer:
The expression $12m + $144 can be factored by taking out the common factor of $12, resulting in the factored form $12(m + 12).
Step-by-step explanation:
The expression given is $12m + $144, which represents the total cost of the car after making monthly payments for one year and including the initial savings of $144. To factor this expression, we look for common factors in both terms. Here, both terms are divisible by $12, so we can factor out $12 as the common factor.
Factoring out $12 gives us:
$12(m + 12).
In this expression, m represents the monthly payment and the number 12 inside the parentheses represents the initial savings divided by 12. This is the factored form of the initial expression.