Answer:
9(5x - 2)
Explanation:
Factoring is the process of separating one product into its factors.
Greatest Common Factor
The question tells us to use the greatest common factor (GCF). The GCF is the largest number that is the factor of both given values. In this case, the given values are 45x and 18.
We can list out the factors for each to find the GCF.
- 45x - 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45, and x
- 18 - 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
The greatest number in both of these lists is 9.
Factoring Out GCF
Now that we know the GCF we can factor it out. We do this by the opposite of the distributive property. Divide each term by the GCF and then place it outside a set of parentheses.
So our new expression is 9(5x - 2).