Need with this, failing the class.. you!

For question 1, the 5 is sitting outside there because it is a common number that can be divided out of each of those terms evenly, making the factoring easier in the end.  When we divide 5 out of 5x^2, we are left with x^2.  When we divide 5 out of 35x we are left with 7x, and when we divide 5 out of 60 we are left with 12.  So the reduced or simplified polynomial is .  The idea here now is to find 2 numbers that ADD up to -7 and MULTIPLY to positive 12.  Those numbers are -3 and -4.  Check the math.  -4+(-3) = -7, and -4 * -3 = 12.  So fill them into the parenthesis.  5(x-3)(x-4).  That's question 1.  For question 2, we have a perfect square binomial.  That means that if we square the same (set of parenthesis) we will get back the original polynomial.  196, the leading coefficient in question 2 is a perfect square, with 14 being the square root.  25 is a perfect square with 5 being the square root.  That means that (14x + 5)(14x + 5) will give us the original polynomial.  FOIL it out to check it, but you'll be good.

Num of plants = (original#ofplants)*(1.6)^t