What is one of the factors of the expression 3p^5 + 12p^3?

To find one of the factors of the expression 3p⁵ + 12p³, we first look for common factors in the terms of the expression.

1. **Identify the Coefficients**: The coefficients in the expression are 3 and 12. The greatest common factor (GCF) of 3 and 12 is 3.

2. **Identify the Variables**: The terms also contain the variable p. In the expression, the lowest exponent of p is p³ (found in the second term: 12p³). Therefore, p³ is a common factor as well.

3. **Factor Out the GCF**: We can now factor out the GCF, which includes both the numeric and the variable part: 3p³.

4. **Expressing the Factorization**: When we factor out 3p³ from the expression, we get:

• 3p³(p² + 4)

Thus, one of the factors of the expression 3p⁵ + 12p³ is 3p³.