How do you use substitution to determine which of the given linear expressions is not a factor of the problem?

Question

3x^4 - 10x^3 - 59x^2 + 146x + 120


[a] 3x + 8
[b] x+4
[c] x-3
[d] 3x + 2

Answer 1

Make each linear expression = 0 and obtain the value of x. For example the first will give x = -8/3 Substitutte this value in the expression. If the value of the expression is different from zero after substitution then the factor IS NOT a linear factor.