Answer:
-4(3n + 5)
Step-by-step explanation:
We want to factor the expression:
-12n - 20
Look at the two terms, which are -12n and -20. Obviously, they don't share an "n", but they do share another number.
Notice that -12 can be written as the product of -4 and 3: -12 = -4 * 3. Similarly, -20 can be written as the product of -4 and 5: -20 = -4 * 5. Since 3 and 5 are prime numbers, we know that -4 is the biggest factor that -12 and -20 share. So, let's factor that out of the expression:
-12n - 20 = -4 * [(-12n/-4) + (-20/-4)] = -4 * (3n + 5)
So, the factored form of this expression is -4(3n + 5).
