SOLUTION: Find the greatest common factor for the group of terms -18a^4,3a^5 ^ means raising to those powers

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Question 474240: Find the greatest common factor for the group of terms
-18a^4,3a^5
^ means raising to those powers
Answer by MathLover1(20850) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Greatest Common Factor is made up of three words
Greatest,
Common and
Factor
Let us start with the last word:
What is a "Factor"
-Factors are the numbers you multiply together to get another number: 2%2A3=6...-> 2 and 3 are factors
-the common factors are those that are found in both numbers
-the "Greatest Common Factor" is simply the largest of the common factors
-18a%5E4=-2%2A3%2A3%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa
3a%5E5+=3%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa
the "Greatest Common Factor" is 3%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa%2Aa=3a%5E4