How do you find the gcf of 8a^2b + 4ab - 12ab^2?

2 Answers
Jul 1, 2015

Find the largest number and highest degree of each variable that can be divided evenly into the expression.

Explanation:

8a^2b+4ab-12ab^2

Largest number = 4
Highest degree of a = a
Highest degree of b = b

Multiply the results to get the GCF of 4ab.

Factor out 4ab.

4ab(2a+1-3b)

Jul 1, 2015

gcf (Greatest Common Factor) of 8a^2b+4ab−12ab^2 is 4ab

Explanation:

Factoring each term independently:
8a^2b = 2xx2xx2xxaxxaxxb
4ab= 2xx2xxaxxb
12ab^2 = 2xx2xx3xxaxxbxxb

Extracting the factors common to all three terms:
2xx2xxaxxb = 4ab