Question

what method of factoring should first be used?
$2x^3 - 11x + 15$
answer
greatest common factor
difference of perfect squares
trinomial factoring
none of the above

Explanation:

1. Greatest Common Factor (GCF): Check if all terms share a common factor. The terms are $2x^3$, $-11x$, and $15$. The GCF of 2, 11, 15 is 1, and there is no common variable across all terms, so this method does not apply first.
2. Difference of Perfect Squares: This applies to expressions of the form $a^2 - b^2$. The given expression is a cubic trinomial, not a difference of squares, so this method does not apply.
3. Trinomial Factoring: This typically applies to quadratic trinomials ($ax^2+bx+c$). The given expression is a cubic trinomial ($2x^3-11x+15$), so standard trinomial factoring for quadratics does not apply first.

Since none of the first three methods are the correct first step for this cubic polynomial.

Answer:

None of the Above