College Algebra CLEP Prep Practice Exam

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Which of the following is not a factor of x2 + 5x - 48?

x - 4
x - 3
x + 8
x + 9

The correct answer is: x + 8

One approach to solving this question is to factor the given polynomial. This can be done by looking for two numbers that multiply to give the constant term -48 and add to give the coefficient of the middle term 5. For the polynomial given, the numbers are -3 and 8. These numbers correspond to the options B and C respectively. However, only C (x + 8) is not a factor of the polynomial. Therefore, C is the correct answer. Options A (x - 4) and D (x + 9) are both factors of the polynomial since (-4)(12) = -48 and (-3)(-16) = 48. Hence, these options are incorrect.