Question

What is the greatest common factor of the terms in the polynomial 12x4 + 27x3 + 6x2?

Answer 1

To solve for the greatest common factor, ask yourself what is the largest number that you can divide in all 3 numbers, in this case would be 3.

12/3 = 4
27/3 = 9
6/3 = 2.

Then find the largest common variable you can evenly divided in all 3 terms, this would be x^2.

X^4/x^2 = X^2
X^3/X^2 = X^1
X^2/x^2 = x^0 = 1.

Put the 2 together, and you have your GCF. 3X^2 is your GCF.

Answer 2

It must be three
12×4÷3=16
27×3÷3=27
6×2÷3=4
16,27,4 are the simplest form possible so ans is 3.