Question

The greatest common factor of 3x^4-12x^2

Answer 1

hello!

Let's find the G.C.F. (Greatest Common Factor) of 3x⁴-12x².

The key words here are "common" and "greatest".

Here are some common factors:-

3

3x

3x²

x

x²

And the greatest common factor is:-

3x²

[If Necessary]

Factor it out by dividing the terms in the polynomial by the GCF:-

x²

4

Subtract the terms:-

(x²-4)

And put the G.C.F. outside the parentheses:

3x²(x²-4)

note:-

Hope everything is clear; if you need any clarification/explanation, kindly let me know, and I will comment and/or edit my answer :)

Answer 2

3x^2

Explanation:

3x^4-12x^2

Factoring out 3x^2

3x^2 ( x^2 -4)

We can factor (x^2-4) since it is the difference of squares

3x^2 ( x-2) (x+2)

The greatest common factor is 3x^2