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Factoring 5a+55a + 5

Factor 5a+55a + 5 by extracting the greatest common factor.

Step 1 — Find the GCF of 5a5a and 55: Factor each term: 5a=5a5a = 5 \cdot a and 5=55 = 5. The only common factor is 55, so GCF=5\text{GCF} = 5.

Step 2 — Rewrite each term as a product of the GCF: Express 5a=5a5a = 5 \cdot a and 5=515 = 5 \cdot 1, giving 5a+515 \cdot a + 5 \cdot 1.

Step 3 — Apply the reverse Distributive Property: Factor out the 55: 5(a+1)5(a + 1).

Step 4 — Check by multiplying: 5(a+1)=5a+51=5a+55(a + 1) = 5 \cdot a + 5 \cdot 1 = 5a + 5 ✓.

The factored form is 5(a+1)5(a + 1). Notice that when one term of the polynomial is exactly the GCF itself (here, the constant 55), the remaining factor for that term is 11 — not 00. Writing the 11 inside the parentheses is essential; omitting it would change the value of the expression.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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