Question

Factor the trinomial:
24x^4+10x^3-4x^2

Could you please explain how to do this?

Answer 1

first combine like terms

Answer 2

-96x^2

Answer 3

???
how?

Answer 4

24x^2 and -4x^2 are alike?

Answer 5

24x^2+10x^3-4x^2

the only like terms you could combine are the ones with x^2

24x^2-4x^2

(24-4)x^2= 20x^2

you dont multiply them together

Answer 6

Oh. Oh yeah, "COMBINE" them, not multiply. Sorry.

Answer 7

I typed the problem wrong actually
It's 24x^4

Answer 8

SORRY

Answer 9

24x^4+10x^3-4x^2

basically, you want to see if there are any factors that all the terms have in common

or another way of thinking of it is, is there anything i can divide out of all of them without getting a fraction

Answer 10

ex. they all have x in them

Answer 11

Okay

Answer 12

So x would be the common factor or?

Answer 13

since they all have x in each term, i can factor it out
this will give me


x(24x^3+10x^2-4x)

Answer 14

Okay.

Answer 15

what else can you factor out for
24x^3+10x^2-4x

Answer 16

Erm would 2 be a common factor?

Answer 17

yes, so if you factor out 2 as well, what would you get?

Answer 18

2x(12x^3+5x^2-2x)