Rearrange terms in descending order: First, we should rearrange the terms in descending order of the powers of x.12x2−16x−2x3 can be rewritten as −2x3+12x2−16x.
Factor out greatest common factor: Next, we can factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) from each term. The GCF of −2x3, 12x2, and −16x is −2x. Factoring out −2x gives us −2x(x2−6x+8).
Factor quadratic expression: Now, we need to factor the quadratic expression x2−6x+8. We look for two numbers that multiply to 8 and add up to −6. These numbers are −2 and −4. So, we can factor the quadratic as (x−2)(x−4).
Combine factored terms: Finally, we combine the factored quadratic with the −2x we factored out earlier to get the completely factored form of the polynomial.The final factored form is −2x(x−2)(x−4).
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