IDENTIFYING COMMON FACTORS

by Dr. Carol JVF Burns (website creator)
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• PRACTICE (online exercises and printable worksheets)
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EXAMPLES:
Question: Identify all common factor(s) of $\,3x\,$ and $\,3t\,$.
Answer: $3$
Thought process:
The factors of $\,3x\,$ are $\,3\,$ and $\,x\,$.
The factors of $\,\,3t\,\,$ are $\,3\,$ and $\,\,t\,$.
The only factor that appears in both lists is $\,3\,$.
In other words, the only factor that is common to both lists is $\,3\,$.
Question: Identify all common factor(s) of $\,xy\,$ and $\,zx\,$.
Answer: $x$
Question: Identify all common factor(s) of $\,3(x+1)\,$ and $\,(x+1)(x-2)\,$.
Answer: $(x+1)$
Note:
Input any common factor of the form $\,x+k\,$ or $\,x-k\,$ inside parentheses.
Question: Identify all common factor(s) of $\,7txy\,$ and $\,7zyx\,$.
Answer: $7xy$
Note:
List the common factor(s) in the order that they appear,
going from left to right, in the first expression.
Question: Identify all common factor(s) of $\,3x^2y^3\,$ and $\,4y^3\,$.
Answer: $y^3$
Note:
Input exponents using the ‘ ^ ’ key.
Master the ideas from this section