Factor out the coefficient of the variable

Question

How to work this problem? 3\10y - 2\5

Answer 1

To factor a coefficient from a binomial, means to write the binomial as a product of a number a binomial.

For example, 5(x - 2) is the factored form of 5x - 10. They are the same quantity, written in two different ways. Notice that -2 is -10 divided by 5. This observation will help us as we try to factor the coefficient of the variable from (3/10)y-(2/5).

We need to write (3/10)y-(2/5) as (3/10)( y - ? ). To find the missing value, we will divide, just as we divided -10 by 5 in the previous example. Remember to use "Keep Change Flip" to divide fractions.

-2/5 ÷ 3/10 = -2/5 · 10/3 = -20/15 = -4/3

So, (3/10)(y - 4/3) is the factored form of the binomial.