Factors, Multiples And Divisibility

Introduction:
Factors multiples and divisibility deal with dividing and multiplying positive integers {1,2,3,4, . . .}. In this chapter you will work with such concepts as Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM). You will use the factors and multiples of a number to help you solve a variety of SAT Problems.

Factors:
A factor of a whole number divides the number, with no remainder. Example: Is 6 a factor of 50? Because 6 divides into 50 eight times with remainder 2, 6 is not a factor of 50. Example: Is 7 a factor of 63? Because 7 divides into 63 nine times without a remainder, 7 is a factor of 63.

PRIMES AND COMPOSITES A prime number is a positive integer that has exactly two factors, 1
and itself A composite is a positive integer that has more than two factors

Example:
Is 20 a prime or composite number? The factors of 20 are {1,2,4,5,10,20}. Therefore, 20 is a composite number.

Example:
Is 17 a prime or composite number? The factors of 17 are {1,17}. Therefore, 17 is a prime number.

GREATEST COMMON FACTOR (GCF)

The GREATEST COMMON FACTOR (GCF) of two numbers is the largest factor the two numbers have in common.

Example:
What is the GCF of 16 and 36? The factors of 16 are {1,2,4,8,16}, and the factors of 36 are {1,2,3,4,6,9,12, 18,36}. Therefore, the GCF is 4.

MULTIPLES
The MULTIPLES of a given number are those numbers created by successive multiplication. The given number divides the multiple without a remainder.

Example:
List the first five multiples of 3 and the first five multiples of 6. The multiples of 3 are {3,6,9,12,15}, and the multiples of 6 are {6,12,18, 24,30}.

LEAST COMMON MULTIPLE (LCM)

The LEAST COMMON MULTIPLE (LCM) is the smallest multiple two numbers have in common.

Example:
What is the LCM of 3 and 6? Answer: 6 6 is the smallest multiple these numbers have in common.

Divisibility:
If you divide one number by another, the result is a whole number without a remainder. Example:

12 / 6 =2 No remainder, so 12 is divisible by 6.

Practice Questio ns

What is the sum of all the factors of 24?

A. 46 B. 49

C. 50
D. 60 E. 66

What is the greatest number of 3s that can be multiplied together and still have a result less than 250?
A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6 E. 7

Which of the following must be true about the sum of all the prime numbers between 20 and 30?
A. It is a prime number.

B.
C. D. E.

It is an odd number.
It is a factor of 156. It is a multiple of 5. It is a factor of 10.

What is the greatest integer that evenly divides both 48 and 64?
The largest integer that evenly divides both 48 and 64 is the GCF of the two numbers. The factors of 48 are {1,2,3,4,6,8,12,16,24,48}. The factors of 64 are {1,2,4,8,16,32,64}. The GCF is 16. Answer: 16

When x is divided by 8, the remainder is 3. What is the remainder when 4x is divided by 8?

Try an example. Choose 11 for x. 11 divided by 8 leaves a remainder of 3. Multiply 11 4 = 44. 44 divided by 8 leaves a remainder of 4. Answer: 4