Ay-3y-4a+12

To simplify the expression \( ay - 3y - 4a + 12 \), you can rearrange and group the similar terms: 1. Group the \( a \) terms and the \( y \) terms: - Group \( ay \) and \( -3y \) - Group \( -4a \) and \( +12 \) 2. Rewrite the expression: \[ ay - 3y - 4a + 12 = (ay - 3y) + (-4a + 12) \] 3. From here, you can factor out common terms: \[ = y(a - 3) - 4(a - 3) \] 4. Notice that both terms share a common factor of \( (a - 3) \): \[ = (a - 3)(y - 4) \] So, the simplified expression is: \[ (a - 3)(y - 4) \]