7/31/2019 Factoring GCF Problem Set

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Factoring Expressions Name:_____________________

Problem Set 10/5/2011

For all of these problems, unless you have separate directions, factor by undistributing.

SECTION ONE: Getting Started

SECTION TWO: Pulling out the lil guy

To factor , first find the smallest number, and then try

putting that number outside the parentheses.

Try it:

To factor , first find the smallest number, and try putting

that number outside the parentheses.

Try it:

SECTION THREE: Knowing when to give up

At this stage, it will be helpful to make an observation. Its notalways possible to undistributed an expression in this way.

Consider . In this case, its not possible to take any

number and put it on the outside of a parentheses.

For these expressions, determine whether or not there is a

number that we can put outside the parentheses. Check your

answers by distributing forward, and seeing if you arrive at theoriginal expression.

7/31/2019 Factoring GCF Problem Set

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Factoring Expressions Name:_____________________

Problem Set 10/5/2011

A guide to SECTION FOUR: Consider . If you were to take the smallest number and put it outside the parentheses you

would have 10 on the outside of the parentheses. Thats not going to work though. If youre not sure about why that wouldnt work,

make sure that you stop here and try out a few possibilities for putting 10 on the outside. Distribute forward to see if the factoring

worked.

Still, we can put part of 10 on the outside, even if we can t put all of 10 on the outside. There are two options of what we could put

on the outside, because 10 has two parts: 5 and 2. Try both of these, and figure out which one of these will allow you to factor the

expression.

SECTION FOUR: One step further

For SECTION FIVE, make sure that you factor completely. What that means is that, if you can, you should always undistribute more.

Take You might start by sticking 3 outside the parentheses: . But you can do some more factoring here,

because you can take out the smallest number. So do that, and youll get

, which is factored completely.

SECTION FIVE: Leave no man behind!