To find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the terms of the polynomial 44x5 and 16x3, we need to determine the GCF of the coefficients and the GCF of the variable parts separately.
Step 1: Finding the GCF of the coefficients
The coefficients are 44 and 16. We can find the GCF by listing the factors of each number:
- Factors of 44: 1, 2, 4, 11, 22, 44
- Factors of 16: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16
The common factors are 1, 2, and 4. The greatest of these is 4. Therefore, the GCF of the coefficients is 4.
Step 2: Finding the GCF of the variable parts
For the variable parts, we have x5 and x3. To find the GCF, we take the variable with the lowest exponent. Here, the lower exponent is 3, so the GCF of the variable parts is x3.
Step 3: Combining the GCFs
Now, we can combine the GCF of the coefficients and the GCF of the variables. Thus, the GCF of the terms 44x5 and 16x3 is:
GCF = 4x3