Step 2: Identify the greatest common factor (GCF) of the terms. The GCF of 3x^2 and -12 is 3.
Step 3: Factor out the GCF (3) from the expression. This gives us 3(x^2 - 4).
Step 4: Now, look at the expression inside the parentheses: x^2 - 4.
Step 5: Recognize that x^2 - 4 is a difference of squares, which can be factored as (x - 2)(x + 2).
Step 6: Substitute back the factored form into the expression. So, we have 3(x - 2)(x + 2).
Step 7: The complete factorization of the original expression 3x^2 - 12 is 3(x - 2)(x + 2).
Factoring Quadratic Expressions – The process of breaking down a quadratic expression into its simplest components, often involving finding the greatest common factor and recognizing patterns such as the difference of squares.
