factor the expression
x(a+2) - 2(a+2)
i missed this day because i was sick...please explain!
Look at the common factor (a+2), it is in both terms:
(a+2)*(x-2)
neat.
thanks a lot, bob
To factor the expression x(a + 2) - 2(a + 2), we can use the distributive property.
Step 1: First, let's distribute the x to the terms inside the parentheses and distribute the -2 as well.
x * a + x * 2 - 2 * a - 2 * 2
Simplifying this expression gives us:
xa + 2x - 2a - 4
Step 2: Now, we can group like terms together. In this case, we can group the xa term with the -2a term, and the 2x term with the -4 term.
(xa - 2a) + (2x - 4)
Step 3: We can factor out the common factors from each group.
a(x - 2) + 2(x - 2)
Now we have the expression factored as the product of two binomials. Both binomials have a common factor (x - 2). We can factor this common factor out:
(x - 2)(a + 2)
So, the factored expression is (x - 2)(a + 2).