To factor the expression, we have to find the greatest common factor (GCF) between the terms. Let's then rewrite each term as a product of its prime factors.
36a&= 2* 2 * 3 * 3 * a
16b&= 2* 2 * 2 * 2 * b
In this case, the GCF is 2 * 2 = 4. We are going to rewrite each term as 4 multiplied by some factor. Then we will use the Distributive Property to factor the expression. Let's go!