Question

12m^2-9m^3

Answer 1

Is the question to factor it?

Answer 2

yes

Answer 3

Alrighty, basically you look at what the 12m2 and 9m3 have in common. Like what's the biggest number/letter they can both evenly divide out.
I usually start with the numbers. So what number can go into both 12 and 9?

Answer 4

3

Answer 5

Yep, and then look at the m's, what's the biggest that can go into both m2 and m3?

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

Here, m3 is m2 time m. So what they both can divide out is m2 right?

Answer 8

so it would be 4m^2-3m^2

Answer 9

You're clooose!
You keep the 3m2 on the outside of parentheses to show you've factored it out.
So it would look like
3m2(4-3m)

You had it up to the numbers, so with the m's..
m2/m2=1, leaving as just 4
m3/m2=m, leaving it as 3m

Do you see now?

Answer 10

so the answer is 3m

Answer 11

Nope it's what I wrote above,
3m2(4-3m)