College Algebra CLEP Prep Practice Exam

When factoring 5x^2 + 4x + 1, what is the other factor?

1. x + 1

2. x – 1

3. x + 4

4. x – 4

The correct answer is: x – 1

To factor a polynomial, we can use a method called FOIL First, Outer, Inner, Last. This means we multiply the First terms, then the Outer terms, then the Inner terms, and finally the Last terms. In this case, we are looking for two factors that, when multiplied, give us 5x^2 + 4x + 1. Using the FOIL method, we can see that the only combination that gives us 5x^2 is 5x and x. Similarly, the only combination that gives us a constant term of 1 is 1 and 1. Therefore, the two factors are (5x + 1) and (x + 1). While both options A and B have x + 1 as a factor, option B (x - 1) is the correct choice as it provides the other necessary factor