Which of the following is a factor of the polynomial above?

Question

Accepted Answer

Choice B is correct. The first and last terms of the polynomial are both squares such that and . The second term is twice the product of the square root of the first and last terms: . Therefore, the polynomial is the square of a binomial such that , and is a factor. Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly factoring the polynomial. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of dividing the second and third terms of the polynomial by their greatest common factor. Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of not factoring the coefficients.

Question which-