Question

factor the polynomial and check your answer
4m^4 - 2m^2 + 8m

Answer 1

Is there a common power of m in all three of those terms?

Answer 2

nope

Answer 3

There is. Remember that \(m^4 = m \cdot m \cdot m \cdot m\) and \(m^2 = m \cdot m\).

Answer 4

what?

Answer 5

\[4m^4 - 2m^2 + 8m = 4mmmm - 2mm + 8m\]

So you can pull a single m out of all three terms:

\[m(4m^3 - 2m + 8)\]

There's one more common factor, it's a number though. Is there a factor common to 4, 2, and 8?

Answer 6

2?

Answer 7

?