Find the greatest common factor of 84 and 36, showing how you got your answer. Then, using complete sentences, explain what your answer means.

Step-by-step explanation:

I suggest using the "birthday cake" method or the "factor tree" method.

Birthday cake:

-first make a division table with the 2 numbers, 84 & 36 in it

-divide whatever factor both numbers can be divided by until you have the very last number on top. It should look layered, like a birthday cake.

Factor Tree

-write your two numbers at the top of the page

-list common factors that multiply into those numbers

for this case we must apply distributive property to the following expression:

the distributive property states that:

then, when applying the property we have to multiply the -2 for each term within the parenthesis: