Identify GCF: Identify the greatest common factor (GCF) of the terms in the polynomial 3x3−45x2+150x. The GCF of 3x3, 45x2, and 150x is 3x, since 3x is the largest term that divides all three terms.
Factor out GCF: Factor out the GCF from each term in the polynomial.3x3−45x2+150x=3x(x2−15x+50)Check that each term in the polynomial is divisible by 3x.3x3÷3x=x2, 45x2÷3x=15x, 150x÷3x=50.
Check divisibility: Look for factors of the quadratic x2−15x+50 that multiply to give the constant term (50) and add to give the middle coefficient (−15).The factors of 50 that add up to −15 are −5 and −10.
Find quadratic factors: Factor the quadratic x2−15x+50 using the factors found in the previous step.x2−15x+50=(x−5)(x−10)
Factor quadratic: Combine the GCF factored out earlier with the factored quadratic to get the completely factored form of the polynomial.3x(x2−15x+50)=3x(x−5)(x−10)
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