Example

Factoring 5y315y2270y5y^3 - 15y^2 - 270y

Factor 5y315y2270y5y^3 - 15y^2 - 270y completely by first extracting a monomial greatest common factor (GCF) and then factoring the resulting trinomial.

Step 1 — Is there a GCF? Yes, the terms 5y35y^3, 15y2-15y^2, and 270y-270y share a numerical factor of 55 and a variable factor of yy. The GCF is 5y5y. Factor it out: 5y(y23y54)5y(y^2 - 3y - 54).

Step 2 — Classify the expression inside the parentheses. The expression y23y54y^2 - 3y - 54 is a trinomial with a leading coefficient of 11, so use the "undo FOIL" method. Find two numbers that multiply to 54-54 and add to 3-3. Those numbers are 9-9 and 66. Factor the trinomial into two binomials: (y9)(y+6)(y - 9)(y + 6). Combining this with the GCF gives the completely factored form: 5y(y9)(y+6)5y(y - 9)(y + 6).

Step 3 — Check. Multiply the factors to verify they return the original polynomial.

0

1

Updated 2026-06-27

Tags

OpenStax

Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Ch.6 Factoring - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Algebra

Related
Learn After