Answer:
Marcia is not correct.
See explanation below.
Explanation:
The terms are
2x²
4xy
8xy^4
The terms broken down into products of prime factors are:
2x² = 2 × x × x
4xy = 2 × 2 × x × y
8xy^4 = 2 × 2 × 2 × x × y × y × y × y
To find the GCF, we circle the common factors of the three terms (here we use bold type instead of circling.)
2x² = 2 × x × x
4xy = 2 × 2 × x × y
8xy^4 = 2 × 2 × 2 × x × y × y × y × y
The GCF is the products of the circled (bold) factors.
GCF = 2x
Marcia's answer is the Least Common Multiple.
For the LCM, you use all factors that are common and not common with the larger exponent.
LCM = 2 × 2 × 2 × x × x × y × y × y × y = 8x²y^4
Marcia's mistake is that she calculated the LCM instead of the GCF.
Answer:
Marcia is not correct.
The explanation is above.