Factorise 5x^2 + 20x

Factorising is a way of simplifying an equation by putting it into common parts. In the equation above we can see that x is common to both the 5x^2 and the 20x. If we divide by x and put this in-front of the equation we get:x(5x + 20)But be careful. We can still factorise this further. Notice that 20 is divisible by 5 (this means we can divide 20 by 5). By doing this we get a common factor of 5. Now we take the 5 out from the brackets to go with the x we previously took. Remember to divide everything in the bracket by 5 as we are taking this to the front. We now should have:5x(1x + 4)This can also be written as:5x(x + 4).Now expand the brackets to be sure you have the correct answer. You should get the original equation by doing this.

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Answered by Dominic C. Maths tutor

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