Question

What is the GCF of the terms of the polynomial LaTeX: -15y^4+12y^2-9y

Answer 1

The GCF of the terms of the polynomial $-15y^{4} +12y^{2} -9y$ is $3y$

Step-by-step explanation:

Given: A polynomial : $-15y^{4} +12y^{2} -9y$  

To find: GCF of the terms

What is GCF?

GCF stands for Greatest Common Factor.

It is the largest term that will divide each term of the polynomial.

How do we calculate the GCF of a polynomial?

• Step1:  Factorize each term in the polynomial
• Step2: Look for the simplest term that is common in all terms of the  

                    polynomial.

• Step3: Factor the term out of the polynomial.

Now, we use these steps to find the GCF:

$-15y^4=-3*5*y*y*y*y$

$12y^2=2*2*3*y*y$

$-9y=-3*3*y$

From all these terms, we notice that $3y$ is common in all the terms :

⇒ $-15y^{4} +12y^{2} -9y$

⇒ $3y*(-5y^3+4y-3)$

Hence, the GCF of the terms in the given polynomial is $3y$.