Question

which important information did you include in your description? check all of the boxes that apply.
check for a greatest common factor.
there are four terms, so consider factoring by grouping, which yields $(2x +5)(x^2 - 4)$.
identify $x^2 - 4$ as the difference of squares.
factor completely as $(2x + 5)(x + 2)(x - 2)$.
done

Explanation:

All listed steps are part of the full process for completely factoring a polynomial with four terms. First, check for a greatest common factor (even if none exists here, it's a standard first step). Then, use factoring by grouping on four terms to get $(2x +5)(x^2 - 4)$. Next, recognize $x^2 - 4$ is a difference of squares, which factors further. Finally, write the fully factored form $(2x + 5)(x + 2)(x - 2)$.

Answer:

• Check for a greatest common factor.
• There are four terms, so consider factoring by grouping, which yields $(2x +5)(x^2 - 4)$.
• Identify $x^2 - 4$ as the difference of squares.
• Factor completely as $(2x + 5)(x + 2)(x - 2)$.