Roots and prime factorisation

1. Find the prime factorisation of

a) 36 b) 100 c) 144 d) 252 e) 196
All but one of these is a square number. Which one is not?
How can you recognise a square number from its prime factorisation?

2. Find the prime factorisation of these integers. Are they all square numbers? Find the
square root of any that are.
a) 484 b) 324 c) 1024 d) 676 e) 1296

3. Find the smallest additional factor so that the expressions below generate perfect
squares.
a) 2 × 3 × 3 × … b) 5 × 5 × 5 × 3 × 3 × … c) 135 × …
d) 33 × 75 × … e) 𝑝2 × 𝑞 × … f) 𝑝2𝑛+1 × …
(where 𝑛 is an integer)

4. Find the smallest number by which 1008 must be multiplied by to get a perfect square.
What is the square root of this perfect square?

5. Without calculating the product, which of these are square numbers? Explain how you
know.
a) 16 × 4 b) 8 × 32 c) 45 × 5
d) 7 × 7 × 14 × 2 e) 11 × 22 × 8 f) 𝑝2 × 𝑞 𝑛 × 𝑞 𝑛
(where 𝑛 is an integer)

6. Do any of these have an integer cube roots? If so, find it.

a) 8000 b) 216 c) 980 d) 4096 e) 1728

7. One of the numbers in question 6 is a sqube number, i.e. it is both a square number
and a cube number.
a) How would you recognise a sqube number from its prime factorisation?
b) Calculate the first two sqube numbers. How many more can you easily write
down?
Answers
1. a) 36 = 22 × 32 (square)
b) 100 = 22 × 52 (square)
c) 144 = 24 × 32 (square)
d) 252 = 22 × 32 × 7 (not square) A square number has an even power for each
e) 196 = 22 × 72 (square) of its factors.

2. a) 484 = 22 × 112 (square) √484 = 2 × 11 = 22

b) 324 = 22 × 34 (square) √324 = 2 × 32 = 2 × 9 = 18
c) 1024 = 210 (square) √1024 = 25 = 32
d) 676 = 22 × 132 (square) √676 = 2 × 13 = 26
e) 1296 = 24 × 34 (square) √1296 = 22 × 32 = 4 × 9 = 36

3. a) 2×3×3×2
b) 5×5×5×3×3×3
c) 135 × 13
d) 33 × 75 × 3 × 7 = 33 × 75 × 21
e) 𝑝2 × 𝑞 × 𝑞
f) 𝑝2𝑛+1 × 𝑝

4. 1008 = 24 × 32 × 7 so 1008 × 7 will be a perfect square

The square root of 1008 × 7 is 22 × 3 × 7 = 84

5. a) 16 × 4 = 24 × 22 (square since even powers)

b) 8 × 32 = 23 × 25 = 28 (square since an even power)
c) 45 × 5 = 32 × 5 × 5 = 32 × 52 (square since even powers)
d) 7 × 7 × 14 × 2 = 73 × 22 (not square since an odd power of 7)
e) 11 × 22 × 8 = 11 × 11 × 2 × 23 = 112 × 24 (square since even powers)
f) 𝑝2 × 𝑞 𝑛 × 𝑞 𝑛 = 𝑝2 × 𝑞 2𝑛 (square since even powers)

6. a) 8000 = 23 × 103 (cube) 3

√8000 = 2 × 10 = 20
a) 216 = 23 × 33 (cube) 3
√216 = 2 × 3 = 6
a) 980 = 22 × 5 × 7 (not cube)
a) 4096 = 212 (cube) 3
√4096 = 24 = 16
a) 1728 = 26 × 33 (cube) 3
√1728 = 22 × 3 = 12

7. a) The prime factorisation of a sqube will have all its powers as multiples of 6.
b) The first five squbes are 16 = 1, 26 = 64, 36 = 729, 46 = 4096, 56 = 15625.
One easy other sqube is 106 = 1 000 000.