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According to the preliminary strategy for factoring, what should you always ask first before choosing a method?
AIs the leading coefficient of the trinomial a perfect square
BIs there a greatest common factor to pull out first
CDoes the polynomial have exactly two terms in it
DIs the constant term of the polynomial negative
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Is there a greatest common factor to pull out first
1. The preliminary strategy for factoring polynomials completely begins by asking whether there is a greatest common factor.
2. If a GCF exists, it must be factored out before any other method is applied.
3. Only after the GCF question is answered does the strategy move on to asking whether the remaining polynomial is a binomial, trinomial, or has more terms.
_Source: OpenStax Elementary Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Factoring", section 7.3 Factor Quadratic Trinomials with Leading Coefficient Other than 1_
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