Factoring Out GCF in Polynomials

Greatest
Common

Factor

Lesson 1

What? Why? How?

We are learning how to
find the gcf from an
expression/polynomial
and how to decompose
polynomials into
irreducible factors.

WHAT ARE WE

LEARNING

WHY ARE WE

LEARNING THIS

HOW YOU’LL BE

SUCCESSFUL

We are learning how to
factor polynomials in order
to solve for
x-intercepts/zeros. Factoring
is the foundation for many
theorems and problems that
student will later learn in
precalculus and calculus.

● I can find the gcf.
● I can use factoring to

write a polynomial as the
product of polynomials of
lesser degree.

Greatest Common Factors (GCF)

The greatest common factor of an algebraic expression is the
"greatest" factor that can be divided into each of the terms with no
remainder.

For example: 24 and 36 have a GCF of 12 because 12 goes into 24
two times and 36 three times. 24 and 36 have other factors but 12 is
the largest number to go into both.

Greatest Common Factors (GCF)

What are the factors of 36 and 24?

24-

36-

What is the largest factor they have in common?

Greatest Common Factors (GCF)

1. 25a² + 15a

2. 18x² - 12x³

3. 28a²b + 56abc²

Greatest Common Factors (GCF)

1. 20x² - 24xy

2. 28a² + 21b - 35b²c²