What is the greatest common factor of 18a^4b^3 and 21a^8b^3
To find the greatest common factor (GCF) of two terms, we need to identify the common factors and determine the highest power of each common factor that appears in both terms.
The factors of 18 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18.
The factors of 21 are 1, 3, 7, and 21.
The common factors of 18 and 21 are 1 and 3.
Regarding the variables, a^4 appears in the first term and a^8 appears in the second term. Therefore, a^4 is the highest power of the variable a that appears in both terms.
The factoring for a^4 and b^3 is as follows:
18a^4b^3 = (2 * 3 * a^4 * b^3)
21a^8b^3 = (3 * 7 * a^8 * b^3)
The common factors of a^4b^3 and a^8b^3 are a^4b^3.
Thus, the GCF of 18a^4b^3 and 21a^8b^3 is 3a^4b^3.