Final answer:
The Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of the terms 20xy, 25x²y², and -5xy is 5xy (Option A), determined by the smallest exponents of the variables and the largest number that divides all coefficients.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of the terms 20xy, 25x²y², and -5xy, you should start by identifying the smallest exponent of each variable and the largest number that divides all of the coefficients without a remainder. First, factor each term:
20xy = 5 × 4 × x × y
25x²y² = 5 × 5 × x × x × y × y
-5xy = -1 × 5 × x × y
The smallest exponent for x in all terms is 1 and for y is also 1. The largest number that divides into 20, 25, and -5 is 5. Thus, the GCF is 5xy, which means the correct answer is Option A: 5xy.