29. Which of the following expressions is a factor of the polynomial x^2-x-72 A. x-9 B. x-8 C. x+2 D. x+9 E. x+36

To determine which of the given expressions is a factor of the polynomial \(x^2 - x - 72\), we need to factor the polynomial.<br /><br />First, we look for two numbers that multiply to \(-72\) and add up to \(-1\). These numbers are \(8\) and \(-9\), since:<br />\[ 8 \times (-9) = -72 \]<br />\[ 8 + (-9) = -1 \]<br /><br />Thus, we can factor the polynomial as:<br />\[ x^2 - x - 72 = (x - 9)(x + 8) \]<br /><br />Now, we check which of the given options are factors:<br />- \(x - 9\)<br />- \(x - 8\)<br />- \(x + 2\)<br />- \(x + 9\)<br />- \(x + 36\)<br /><br />From our factorization, we see that the factors are \(x - 9\) and \(x + 8\).<br /><br />Therefore, the correct answers are:<br />A. \(x - 9\)<br />B. \(x - 8\)