How do you factor out the GCF of #40a ^ { 6} b ^ { 5} - 50a^ { 5} b ^ { 6}#?
1 Answer
Jul 21, 2017
Find the largest coefficient and degree that can divide all values.
Explanation:
The GCF is the greatest factor that can divide all terms (unless you choose not to factor it out).
First off, we have to find a value that can divide the coefficients.
In this case, it is
Therefore, the first number is
#40a^6b^5 - 50a^5b^6#
#10(4a^6b^5 - 5a^5b^6)#
The next step are the variables. For these, we must use the largest degree that all terms share. For
#10a^5b^5(4b - 5a)#
And that's it.
Hope this helps :)