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Year 8 · Patterns & Algebra

Factorise with a common factor

Factorising is expanding in reverse: take the biggest common factor outside a bracket.

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How to do it

  1. Find the highest number (and letter) that divides every term.
  2. Write it outside the bracket.
  3. Divide each term by it to fill the bracket.

Worked example

6x + 9
The highest common factor of 6 and 9 is 3
3(2x + 3)

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