Ricardo is factoring the polynomial, which has four terms. 5 x cubed plus 20 x squared plus 2 x plus 8 5 x squared open paren x plus 4 close paren plus 2 times open paren x plus 4 close paren Which is the completely factored form of his polynomial?
Answer
A
open paren 7 x squared plus 2 close paren times open paren x plus 4 close paren
B
5 x squared open paren x plus 4 close paren
C
7 x squared open paren x plus 4 close paren
D
open paren 5 x squared plus 2 close paren times open paren x plus 4 close paren
Explanation
Group the terms: (5x³ + 20x²) + (2x + 8). Factor each group to get 5x²(x + 4) + 2(x + 4), then factor out the shared (x + 4). The completely factored form is (5x² + 2)(x + 4), choice D.
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