Final answer:
a. 4uv⁴(4u³v⁴−3w²). The expression 16u⁴v⁸ - 12uv⁴w² can be factored as 4uv⁴(4u³v⁴-3w²).
Step-by-step explanation:
The expression 16u⁴v⁸ - 12uv⁴w² can be factored as 4uv⁴(4u³v⁴-3w²). To factor the expression, we can identify the common factor between the terms, which is 4uv⁴. Then we divide each term by the common factor to get (16u⁴v⁸/4uv⁴) - (12uv⁴w²/4uv⁴). Simplifying these fractions, we get 4u³v⁴ - 3w². Finally, we put the common factor back in front of the simplified expression to get the factored form as 4uv⁴(4u³v⁴-3w²).