SOLUTION: Say to factor the polynomial y(x^7+5)+5(x^7+5) I keep getting yx^7+5y+5x^7+25 which is incorrect

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Question 349153: Say to factor the polynomial
y(x^7+5)+5(x^7+5)
I keep getting yx^7+5y+5x^7+25 which is incorrect

Answer by jsmallt9(3758) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You are multiplying, not factoring. This is why your answer is not correct. Factoring is "un-multiplying". In other words, factoring an expression is rewriting it as a product of two or more factors.

The short way to factor your expression takes advantage of the fact that the first half of your expression and the second half of your expression have a common factor (shown in red below):
y%2Ared%28%28x%5E7%2B5%29%29%2B5%2Ared%28%28x%5E7%2B5%29%29
Common factors can be factored out. (This is using the Distributive Property in reverse.)
red%28%28x%5E7%2B5%29%29%2A%28y%2B5%29
This is the factored form of your original expression. The entire expression is now a product of two expressions.

(Look at using the Distributive property on the answer, multiplying the expression in red with both terms of (y+5). Won't you end up with what you started with?).