Problem 52

Question

Factor each polynomial using the negative of the greatest common factor. $$-18 x^{4}+9 x^{3}+6 x^{2}$$

Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer
The factored form of the polynomial is \(-3x^2(6x^2 - 3x - 2)\).
1Step 1: Identify the Greatest Common Factor (GCF)
First, identify the GCF of all terms. The GCF needs to be negative since it is asked in the problem. For \(-18x^4, 9x^3\), and \(6x^2\), they each have an \(x^2\) factor, therefore, the greatest common factor is -3\(x^2\).
2Step 2: Divide each term by the GCF
Next, divide each term by the common factor \(-3x^2\). This gives \(-18x^4/-3x^2 = 6x^2\), \(9x^3/-3x^2 = -3x\), and \(6x^2/-3x^2 = -2\).
3Step 3: Combine Results
Combine the results in order from highest to lowest degrees. \(6x^2 - 3x - 2\) gives us the final factored form.