Final answer:
To completely factor the quadratic expression 4x^2 + 12x - 72, you can use the method of factoring by grouping.
Step-by-step explanation:
To factor the quadratic expression 4x^2 + 12x - 72, we can use the method of factoring by grouping.
Step 1: Multiply the coefficient of the quadratic term and the constant term. In this case, it's 4 * -72 = -288.
Step 2: Find two numbers that multiply to give -288 and add to give the coefficient of the linear term, which is 12. The numbers are 24 and -12.
Step 3: Rewrite the linear term using these two numbers:
4x^2 + 24x - 12x - 72
Step 4: Factor by grouping:
(4x^2 + 24x) - (12x + 72)
Step 5: Factor out the common factors from each group:
4x(x + 6) - 12(x + 6)
Step 6: Combine the two parts using the common factor:
(4x - 12)(x + 6)
The completely factored form of the given quadratic expression is (4x - 12)(x + 6).