Question

Which expression is a factor of

9x +12 xy + 4y??

Answer 1

C. 3x^3 + 2y

Explanation:

9x^6 + 12x^3y + 4y^2

9x^6 = (3x^3)^2

4y^2 = (2y)^2

So far it looks like the trinomial can be the square of a binomial. We need to check the middle term.

2 * 3x^3 * 2y = 12x^3y

The middle term checks out, so this trinomial is a perfect square trinomial.

9x^6 + 12x^3y + 4y^2 = (3x^3 + 2y)^2

Answer: C. 3x^3 + 2y

Answer 2

3x³ + 2y

Explanation:

We use sum of squares to factor out the expression:

(3x³ + 2y)²

In that case, we look for the answer choice with 3x³ + 2y as a factor. We should get the 3rd Choice as our answer.