1. Let's start by understanding what it means to "factor out." Factoring out is the process of finding the greatest common factor (GCF) of terms in an expression and rewriting the expression as a product of that GCF and another expression. 2. For example, consider the expression $$6x + 9$$. The GCF of 6 and 9 is 3. 3. Factoring out 3 means rewriting $$6x + 9$$ as $$3(2x + 3)$$ because $$3 \times 2x = 6x$$ and $$3 \times 3 = 9$$. 4. Step 5 in factoring usually involves checking the expression inside the parentheses to see if it can be factored further or simplified. 5. In detail, this means looking at the terms inside the parentheses, such as $$2x + 3$$, and determining if there is a common factor or if it is a special product (like a difference of squares or a perfect square trinomial). 6. If no further factoring is possible, step 5 confirms that the factoring process is complete. 7. So, step 5 is important because it ensures the expression is fully factored and simplified, which is essential for solving equations or simplifying expressions effectively.