Algebra Practice Test

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Question: 1 / 400

What is the factored form of 2x^2 - 8?

(x - 4)(x + 4)

2(x - 4)(x + 4)

2(x - 2)(x + 2)

To determine the correct factored form of the expression $2x^2 - 8$, we start by noticing that both terms share a common factor. In this case, the common factor is 2. When we factor out 2 from the expression, we get:

2(x^2 - 4)

Next, we recognize that the expression inside the parentheses, $x^2 - 4$, is a difference of squares. A difference of squares can be factored using the identity $a^2 - b^2 = (a - b)(a + b)$. Here, $x^2 - 4$ can be treated as:

(x - 2)(x + 2)

Thus, when we combine this with the 2 we factored out earlier, we arrive at the fully factored form of the original expression:

2(x - 2)(x + 2)

This confirmation shows why the factored form 2(x - 2)(x + 2) is the correct answer. The other options either do not factor the expression completely or do not correctly apply the difference of squares. For instance, while one option suggests

Algebra Practice Test

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