SOLUTION: I need help understanding how to find the greatest common factor and factoring it out of a equation. e.x. 6y^4 + 14y^3 - 10y^2

Algebra ->  Distributive-associative-commutative-properties -> SOLUTION: I need help understanding how to find the greatest common factor and factoring it out of a equation. e.x. 6y^4 + 14y^3 - 10y^2      Log On


   

Question 186662This question is from textbook Algebra 1
: I need help understanding how to find the greatest common factor and factoring it out of a equation.
e.x. 6y^4 + 14y^3 - 10y^2 This question is from textbook Algebra 1

Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The limitation on picking out a common factor
is lowest power of a symbol (x,y z, etc), or
it must be the greatest common divisor of
the numbers that are common to each term
6y%5E4+%2B+14y%5E3+-+10y%5E2
The common symbols are:
y%5E4, y%5E3, and y%5E2
The lowest power is 2, so I can
factor out y%5E2
y%5E2%2A%286y%5E2+%2B+14y+-+10%29
For the numbers, the greatest common divisor is 2
so I can factor out a 2
2y%5E2%2A%283y%5E2+%2B+7y+-+5%29