Mathematics

Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

LESSON 1.1
Factoring Polynomials with a Common Monomial
Factor
Table of Contents
Introduction 1

Test Your Prerequisite Skills 2

DepEd Competencies 3

Objectives 3

Warm-Up! 4

Learn about It! 5

Let’s Practice 7

Check Your Understanding 12

Key Point 13

Bibliography 13
 Mathematics
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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Lesson 1.1
Factoring Polynomials with a Common
Monomial Factor

Fig. 1. House Building Design

Introduction
Mathematics relies on logic and creativity, and it is studied both for its theoretical and
practical applications. For some people, not just the professionals, the pursuit to understand
the essence of mathematics lies in the study of patterns and relationships.

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Have you ever wondered how architects maximize and design a certain floor plan of a house
or a building? How does an engineer compute for the right mixture of cement and gravel to
be used for the foundations of skyscrapers and other infrastructures? How does a carpenter
build a cabinet or drawer using limited supplies? We can use polynomials to model such
scenarios.

In this lesson, we will learn about factoring polynomials with a common monomial factor that
will be useful in simplifying polynomials as well as their applications in the real world.

Test Your Prerequisite Skills

Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will
help you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in studying
this lesson. Show your complete solution.

1. List all the positive integer factors of the given number.

a. 9 b. 16 c. 51

2. Perform the indicated operation.

a. (2𝑥 5 + 4𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 2 + 7) + (7𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 − 9)
b. (3 − 𝑚𝑥 − 3𝑥 2 ) − (−𝑚𝑥 − 2𝑥 2 − 4)
c. (2𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 − 2)
d. (4𝑥 + 1)(16𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 1)
e. (−156𝑥 2 𝑦 4 𝑧 3 ) ÷ (26𝑥 2 𝑦 2 𝑧 2 )
f. (7𝑥 + 12 + 𝑥 2 ) ÷ (𝑥 + 3)

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

DepEd Competencies
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to do the following:

● Factor completely different types of polynomials (polynomials with

common monomial factor, difference of two squares, sum and difference
of two cubes, perfect square trinomials, and general trinomials) (M8AL-
Ia-b-1).

● Solve problems involving factors of polynomials (M8AL-Ib-2).

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to do the following:

● Accurately determine the greatest common monomial factor of a

polynomial.

● Accurately and completely factor polynomials with common monomial

factor.

● Correctly solve word problems involving factors of polynomials with

common monomial factor.

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Warm-Up!

Something Common

Materials
● fishbowl
● pen
● paper

Instructions
1. This activity may be played by the whole class.
2. Your teacher has prepared a fishbowl. Inside, there are rolled small pieces of
papers having monomials written on them.
3. Each one of you is to pick a piece of rolled paper without looking at it. You must
also not show the content of your paper to any of your classmates just yet.
4. After everyone has taken their pick, each one of you may open the rolled paper
and take a look at the monomial you got.
5. Each one of you must then go around the classroom and find two other persons
with monomials that have a common factor (except 1) with your monomial. The
common factor may be numerical (numeral) or literal (variable) or a combination
of both. You are free to talk while in search for your partners that would form a
triad.

Examples of monomials with common factors:

12𝑦 and 9𝑥 (Both have 3 as a common numerical factor.)
11𝑥 2 and 5𝑥 2 (Both have 𝑥 2 as a common literal factor.)
4𝑤 2 and 8𝑤 (Both have 4𝑤 as a common factor.)

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

6. Once a triad is formed, the three must run to the teacher and show their monomials
for verification.
7. The first three triads who get verified by the teacher get a prize.

Learn about It!

Factoring Polynomials with Common Monomials

In factoring polynomials, the first factors taken out are the greatest common monomial
factors.

For example, let us factor 6𝑎𝑏 + 12𝑏𝑐.

List down the common factors of both terms of the polynomial and select the greatest factor.
Nevertheless, the following steps may be helpful and easier to perform.

Step 1: Find the GCF of the numerical coefficients and the GCF of the variables by prime
factorization.

Numerical coefficients: Variables:

6=𝟑×𝟐 𝑎𝑏 = 𝑎 ⋅ 𝒃
12 = 𝟑 × 𝟐 × 2 𝑏𝑐 = 𝒃 ⋅ 𝑐

GCF = 𝟑 × 𝟐 = 6 GCF = 𝒃

Step 2: Get the product of the GCFs for the numerical coefficients and the variables. This will
be the greatest common monomial factor of the polynomial.

6 ⋅ 𝑏 = 6𝑏

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Definition 1.1: The greatest common monomial factor is the product of the
greatest common numerical factor and a second component made
up of the common variable factors, each with the highest power
common to each term.

Step 3: Factor out the greatest common monomial factor and divide each term by this to find
the other factor.

6𝑎𝑏 + 12𝑏𝑐 6𝑎𝑏 12𝑏𝑐

= +
6𝑏 6𝑏 6𝑏
= 𝑎 + 2𝑐

The other factor is 𝑎 + 2𝑐.

Therefore, 𝟔𝒂𝒃 + 𝟏𝟐𝒃𝒄 = 𝟔𝒃(𝒂 + 𝟐𝒄).

Essential Questions
How will you factor polynomials with common monomial factor?
How will you solve real-life situations using factoring polynomials with a
common factor?

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Let’s Practice
Example 1
Completely factor the polynomial 45𝑎4 + 36𝑎3 .

Solution
Step 1: Find the GCF of the numerical coefficients and the GCF of the variables by
prime factorization.

Numerical coefficients: Variables:

45 = 𝟑 × 𝟑 × 5 𝑎4 = 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂 ⋅ 𝑎
36 = 𝟑 × 𝟑 × 4 𝑎3 = 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂

GCF = 𝟑 × 𝟑 = 9 GCF = 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂 ⋅ 𝒂 = 𝑎3

Step 2: Get the product of the GCFs for the numerical coefficients and the variables.
This will be the greatest common monomial factor of the polynomial.

9 ⋅ 𝑎3 = 9𝑎3

Step 3: Factor out the greatest common monomial factor and divide each term by
this to find the other factor.

45𝑎4 + 36𝑎3 45𝑎4 36𝑎3

= +
9𝑎3 9𝑎3 9𝑎3
= 5𝑎 + 4

The other factor is 5𝑎 + 4.

Therefore, 𝟒𝟓𝒂𝟒 + 𝟑𝟔𝒂𝟑 = 𝟗𝒂𝟑 (𝟓𝒂 + 𝟒).

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Try It Yourself!
Completely factor the polynomial 48ℎ5 – 32ℎ3 .

Example 2
Find the greatest common monomial factor of 24𝑥 3 𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 2 𝑦 2 − 30𝑥𝑦 3 to factor it
completely.

Solution
Step 1: Find the GCF of the numerical coefficients and the GCF of the variables. Besides
prime factorization, you may also use continuous division.

The GCF of the numerical coefficients is 6.

The GCF of the variables is 𝑥𝑦 2 .

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Step 2: Get the product of the GCFs for the numerical coefficients and the variables. This
will be the greatest common monomial factor of the polynomial.

6 ⋅ 𝑥𝑦 2 = 6𝑥𝑦 2

Step 3: Factor out the greatest common monomial factor and divide each term by this
to find the other factor.

24𝑥 3 𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 2 𝑦 2 − 30𝑥𝑦 3

= 4𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 5𝑦
6𝑥𝑦 2

The other factor is 4𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 5𝑦.

Therefore, 24𝑥 3 𝑦 2 + 18𝑥 2 𝑦 2 − 30𝑥𝑦 3 = 𝟔𝒙𝒚𝟐 (𝟒𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑𝒙 − 𝟓𝒚).

Try It Yourself!
Completely factor the polynomial 42𝑝7 𝑟 8 𝑠 4 − 63𝑝5 𝑟 4 𝑠 5 + 105𝑝4 𝑟 4 𝑠 7 .

Example 3
Given that 75𝑚5 + 15𝑚3 + 45𝑚2 represents a positive integer, prove that it is a composite
number.

Solution
75𝑚5 + 15𝑚3 + 45𝑚2 is composite if we can determine that it has factors other than 1 and
itself.

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Step 1: Find the GCF of the numerical coefficients and the GCF of the variables. Besides
prime factorization, you may also use continuous division.

The GCF of 75, 15, and 45 is 15.

The GCF of 𝑚5 , 𝑚3 , and 𝑚2 is 𝑚2 .

Step 2: Get the product of the GCFs for the numerical coefficients and the variables.
This will be the greatest common monomial factor of the polynomial.

15 ⋅ 𝑚2 = 15𝑚2

Step 3: Factor out the greatest common monomial factor and divide each term by this
to find the other factor.

75𝑚5 + 15𝑚3 + 45𝑚2

= 5𝑚3 + 𝑚 + 3
15𝑚2

The other factor is 5𝑚3 + 𝑚 + 3.

Written in factored form, 75𝑚5 + 15𝑚3 + 45𝑚2 = 15𝑚2 (5𝑚3 + 𝑚 + 3).

Since we have factored 75𝑚5 + 15𝑚3 + 45𝑚2, it is a composite number.

Try It Yourself!
Is the polynomial 85𝑤 9 𝑥 5 𝑦 6 + 68𝑤 7 𝑥 6 𝑦 7 − 153𝑤 5 𝑥 7 𝑦 4 a prime or composite number? Justify
your answer.

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Real-world Problems
Example 4
Mr. Santos plans to construct a circular dinner table with a square centerpiece in the center.
The radius of the table should be the same measure as the side of the square centerpiece.
Write an expression for the remaining area of the table not covered by the centerpiece in
terms of the side 𝑠 of the square. Write your answer in factored form.

Solution
Step 1: Draw a figure to illustrate the given problem.

Step 2: Note that we are looking for the area not covered by the centerpiece. Hence,
we use the formula for the area of the circle and that of the square.

𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒 = 𝜋𝑟 2
𝐴𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 = 𝑠 2

Since the radius should be the same measure as the side of the square, we
write
𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒 = 𝜋𝑟 2 = 𝜋𝑠 2 .

Step 3: Solving for the area not covered by the centerpiece, we have

𝐴 = (𝜋𝑠 2 ) − 𝑠 2 .

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Step 4: Rewriting the equation in factored form, we have

𝐴 = 𝑠 2 (𝜋 − 1)

Therefore, the area of the table not covered by the centerpiece is given by 𝑨 = 𝒔𝟐 (𝝅 − 𝟏).

Try It Yourself!
If the table in Example 4 is in the form of a square having a circular mantle and the diameter
of the mantle is equal to the side of the square 𝑠, what would be the expression for the area
not covered by the mantle?

Check Your Understanding

1. Factor the following expressions completely.
a. 10𝑥 4 − 5𝑥 2
b. 36𝑥 2 𝑦 2 − 30𝑥𝑦 3
c. 𝑢𝑣 2 𝑟 + 𝑢2 𝑣 3 𝑟 2 + 𝑢3 𝑣𝑟 3
d. 28𝑎𝑏 2 𝑐 − 14𝑎2 𝑏𝑐 3 + 7𝑎3 𝑏2 𝑐

2. Write an expression (in factored form) for the area of the shaded region in terms of 𝑟 and
𝑠. Note that 𝑟 is the radius of the smaller circle and 𝑠 is the radius of the larger circle.

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Grade 8 • Unit 1: Factoring

Key Point

● The Greatest Common Monomial Factor is the product of the greatest common
numerical factor and a second component made up of the common variable factors,
each with the highest power common to each term.

Bibliography
Baron, Lorraine, et. al. Math Makes Sense 8. Canada: Pearson Education, 2008.

Davison, David M., et al. Pre-Algebra. Philippines: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005.

Maths is Fun. “Algebra”. Accessed January 10, 2018.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/factoring.html

McCune, Sandra Luna and Clark, William D. Easy Algebra Step-by-Step. McGraw Hill
Professional, 2011.

McGraw-Hill Education. Glencoe Math Volume 1. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2013.

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