UNIT 2.

DIVISIBILITY

1. DIVISIBILITY ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Woorksheet: divisibility. ...................................................................................................................... 2
2. MULTIPLES. ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Woorksheet: mutiples. ......................................................................................................................... 3
3. FACTORS. .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Worksheet: factors. .............................................................................................................................. 4
4. PRIME NUMBERS.................................................................................................................................... 5
Worksheet: prime numbers. ................................................................................................................. 5
5. COMPOSITE NUMBERS. .......................................................................................................................... 6
Worksheet: composite numbers and divisibility rules ......................................................................... 7
6. PRIME FACTOR DECOMPOSITION OF A NUMBER. FACTORING A NUMBER. .............................................. 7
Worksheet: factoring a number. .......................................................................................................... 8
7. HIGHEST COMMON FACTOR AND LOWEST COMMON MULTIPLE ............................................................. 8
Worksheet: HCF and LCM. ............................................................................................................... 13

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1. Divisibility

Vocabulary

• Exact: exacto/a. • Unexact: Inexacta • Divisible: divisible.

There are special names for each number in a division: dividend, divisor, quotient and
the remainder when the division is not exact.

When the división is exact we say the first number is divisible by the second number.

For example, 288 is divisible by 2 because we haven’t got remainder.

Woorksheet: divisibility.

1. Say if the first number is divisible by the second number.

a) 60 by 2 b) 49 by 6 c) 92 by 10 d) 72 by 6

e) 66 by 3 f) 72 by 3 g) 684 by 9 h) 555 by 3

i) 608 by 2 j) 767 by 9 k) 708 by 6 l) 780 by 10

2. Multiples.

Vocabulary

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• Multiple: multiplo • Times table: tablas de multiplicar • To write down: anotar

If you multiply a number by the natural numbers, you wil get the multiples of this
number.
For example:
• The multiples of the number 2 are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 22, 24....All the numbers in the
2 times table are multiples of the number 2.

• The multiples of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 ...All the numbers in the 5 times table are
multiples of the number 5

• The multiples of 10 are: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ...All the numbers in the 10 times
table are multiples of the number 10.

For example:
• How to obtain the smallest multiple of 51 which is over 600?
a) I divide 600 by 51:

b) After I add one unit to the quotient and multiply this number by 51:
(11+1) x 51=12 x 51= 612
Then 612 is the smallest multiple of 51

Woorksheet: mutiples.

2. Write down ten multiples of number 6.

3. Write down all the multiples of 7 between 30 and 80.

4. What’s the smallest multiple of 37 which is over 500?

3. Factors.

Vocabulary

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 • Factors: divisores • To make sure: asegurarse • Exactly: exactamente
Factors are numbers that divide exactly into another number (leaving no remainder)
For example:
• The factors of the number 12, are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12, because these numbers
divide exactly into 12.

• The number 5 isn’t a factor of 12 because does not divide exactly into 15.

When I get a number as a product of two numbers, then these numbers are both factors
of that number.

For example:
• I can get the number 12 as a product of:
1 and 12 1 x 12 = 12
2 and 6 2 x 6 = 12
3 and 4 3 x 4 = 12

All these numbers 1,2,3,4,6... are factors of that number.

• How to obtain the factors of 40? The factors of 40 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and
40. Make sure that you got all of them. Do not forget 1 and 40.

Can you make this quiz?

List all positive factors of these natural numbers.

http://www.algebrahelp.com/worksheets/view/factoring/numbers.quiz

Find the numbers below that are factors of the numbers

http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/materiales_didacticos/ing_multiplos/situadiv.htm

Worksheet: factors.

5. List all positive factors of each one.

a) 30
b) 22
c) 86

6. Find the numbers below that are factors of the number 36.
{7, 12, 36, 15, 20, 1, 4, 40, 9}

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7. If 45 is multiple of 9, say if the following statements are True or False.

a) 45 is factor of 9

b) 45 is divisible by 9

c) 9 is factor of 45

d) 9 is multiple of 45

4. Prime numbers.

Vocabulary

• Prime number: número • Not think of: no tener • Below: por debajo de
primo en cuenta

Prime numbers are special numbers that can only be divided by themselves and 1, then,
prime numbers have exactly two factors themselves and 1.

The number 1 is not thought of as a prime number.

For example:

• 19 is a prime number. It can only be divided by 1 and 19.

• 9 is not a prime number. It can be divided by 3 as well as 1 and 9.
• The prime numbers below 20 are: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19

Worksheet: prime numbers.

8. Wich of the following numbers are prime numbers: a) 18 b) 45 c) 79 d) 90

9. Write all the prime numbers between 70 and 100.

10. The Eratóstenes's sieve: Erase the non-prime numbers in the following list:

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 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110
111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140
141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160
161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170
171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180
181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190
191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200

5. Composite numbers.

Vocabulary

• Composite number: numero compuesto • Besides: además de

• Even number: numero par • Odd number or uneven number:
numero impar
• Tests of divisibility, divisibility rules: • To factor: factorizar
criterios de divisibilidad

Composite numbers are numbers that can be divided exactly by several numbers besides
themselves and 1, then, composite numbers have more than two factors

For example:

• 9 is a composite number. It can be divided by 3 as well as 1 and 9.

9:1=9 9:9=1 9:3=3

• 20 is a composite number. It can be divided by 2, 4, 5, 10 as well as 1 and 20.

20:1=20 20:2=10 20:4=5 20:5=4 20:10=2 20:20=1

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Test of divisibility or divisibility rules

One number is divisible by:

2 If the last digit is 0 or an even number.

3 If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3.

5 If the last digit is 0 or 5.

10 If the last digit is 0

If the sum of the digits in the even position minus the sum of the
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digits in the uneven position is 0 or divisible by 11

Worksheet: composite numbers and divisibility rules

11. Find which of the numbers: 239 300 675 570 800 495 888 6402 2088 are
multiples of:
a) 3 →
b) 2 →
c) 5 →
d) 11 →

12. If 6=2x3. Find which of the numbers 824 1206 182 are multiples of 6.

13. Which is the missing number

• When the number x31 is multiple of 3.
• When the number 84x is multiple of 5
• When the number 5x8 is multiple of 2 and 3.
• When the number x05 is multiple of 3 and 5.

6. Prime factor decomposition of a number. Factoring a

number.

Vocabulary
• So forth, so on: y así • To decompose; descomponer
sucesivamente, etc

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Factoring a number or prime factor decomposition of a number, means writing it as a
product of prime factors. For example, 28 = 2 x 2 x 7

How do we write a number as a product of its prime factors?

• If you want to factor a number, divide it by the first possible prime number. Use
the tests of divisibility.
• Take the resulting quotient below the number.
• If it is possible, continue dividing this quotient successively by the same prime
number.
• When you cannot do the division by this prime number, divide it by the next
possible prime number. Use the tests of divisibility.
• And so forth until the final quotient is 1.
• Finally write this number as a product of powers of prime factors.

For example:
Write 40 and 126 as a product of its prime factors.

Worksheet: factoring a number.

14.- Find the factor decomposition of the following numbers:

a) 24 b) 123

c) 420 d) 4752

7. Highest common factor and lowest common multiple

Vocabulary

• Night off: noche libre • To leave: despegar, salir

• Gardener: jardinero • Lighthouses: Luz
• To water: regar • Hill: colina, montaña

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• Grass: cesped • Flashes: destello
• Soft drink: refresco • Cages: jaula
• To mix: mezclar

Lowest common multiple

The “lowest common multiple”, is the smallest common multiple of two or more
numbers.

To find the lowest common multiple (LCM) of two or more numbers there are two
methods:

• 1st Method:

1. We list the multiples of the numbers and stop when we find the first common
multiple of the numbers.
2. This will be the LCM

For example:

Ø What is the LCM of 6 and 4?

We list the multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24, 36...and the multiples of 4 are 4,
8, 12, 16,...The number 12 is the lowest number to appear in both lists, so
it is known as the lowest common multiple (LCM).

Ø What is the LCM of 6 and 10?

The multiples of 10 are 10, 20, 30, 40, 50… and the multiples of 6 are 6,
12, 18, 24, 30, 36, ... The LCM of 6 and 10 is 30.

Ø Sara and Harry both work from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Sara has every
fifth night off and Harry every sixth night off. If they both have tonight
off, how many days will pass before they have the same night off again?

Both will coincide when the number of days that will go by must be
multiple of 5 and 6. Besides the smallest one.

Multiples of 5→ 5 10 15 20 25 30 35....
Multiples of 6→ 6 12 18 24 30 36 42....
Both will coincide after 30 nights. So, the LCM of 5 and 6 is 30 nights

Ø A gardener waters the grass in a park every 6 days and cut it every
8 days. How long will it take him to do both jobs on the same day?

Both will coincide when the number of days that will go by must be
multiple of 6 and 8. Besides the smallest one.

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 Multiples of 6→ 12 18 24 30 ….
Multiple of 8→ 16 24 32 …
Both jobs will coincide every 24 days.

• 2st Method:

1. Factoring the numbers.

2. Choose the non-common and the common factors with the highest exponents.

For example:

Ø What is the LCM of 6 and 4?

6=2.3 and 4=22. So, the LCM of 6 and 4 is 22.3=12

Ø What is the LCM of 6 and 10?

6=2.3 and 10=2.5. So, LCM of 6 and 10 is 2.3.5=30

Ø What is the LCM of 40 and 126?

Write 40 and 126 as a product of its prime factors.

LCM (40,126) = 23x32x5x7=2520

Ø Sara and Harry both work from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Sara has every
fifth night off and Harry every sixth night off. If they both have tonight
off, how many days will pass before they have the same night off again?

Both will coincide when the number of days that will go by must be
multiple of 5 and 6. Besides the smallest one.

5=5x1 and 6=6x1. So the LCM of 5 and 6 is 30 nights

Ø A gardener waters the grass in a park every 6 days and cut it every
8 days. How long will it take him to do both jobs on the same day?
Both will coincide when the number of days that will go by must be
multiple of 5 and 6. Besides the smallest one.

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 6=2x3x1 and 8=23x1. So, LCM of 6 and 10 is 2.3.5=30

Highest common factor

The “highest common factor” is the largest common factor of two or more numbers.

To find the highest common factor (HCF) of two or more numbers there are two
methods:

• 1st Method:

1. We list the factors of the numbers and we choose the highest of the common
factors.
2. This will be the LCM

For example:

Ø What is the HCF of 24 and 40?

The factors of 24 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24, and that the factors of 40 are
1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and 40.
The numbers 1, 2, 4 and 8 appear in both lists, so they are known as the
common factors of 24 and 40.
The number 8 is the highest of the common factors, so it is known as the
highest common factor (HCF).

Ø What is the HCF of 12 and 20?

The Answer: The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.

The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20.
The HCF of 12 and 20 is 4.

Ø We have to pack 12 orange soft drink bottles and 18 lemon soft drink in
boxes that contain the same number of bottles, as big as possible and
without mixing both flavours in the same box. How many bottles will we
place in every box?

The number of bottles will be a common factor of 12 and 18, and the
highest one.

Factors of 12→ 1 2 3 4 6 12
Factors of 18→ 1 2 3 6 9 18

Each box holds 6 bottles

• 2st Method:

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 1. Factoring the numbers.
2. Choose only the common factors with the lowest exponents.

For example:

Ø What is the HCF of 24 and 40?

24=23.3 and 40=23.5.

So, the HCF of 24 and 40 is 23=8

Ø What is the HCF of 12 and 20?

12=22.3 and 20=22.5.

So, the HCF of 12 and 20 is 22=4

Ø What is the HCF of 40 and 126?

Write 40 and 126 as a product of its prime factors.

40 2 126 2
20 2 63 3
10 2 21 3
5 5 7 7
1 1

40 = 23.5 126 = 2.32.7

HCF (40,126) = 2

Ø We have to pack 12 orange soft drink bottles and 18 lemon soft drink in
boxes that contain the same number of bottles, as big as possible and without
mixing both flavours in the same box. How many bottles will we place in
every box?

The number of bottles will be a common factor of 12 and 18, and the highest
one.

12=22x3 and 18=2x32.

So HCF(12,18)=2x3=6

Can you make this quiz?

Finding a GCF of Two Numbers

http://www.algebrahelp.com/worksheets/check/factoring/findgcf/numbers.quiz

Factors and multiples: Mixture.

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Solve problems and play the game
http://www.jamit.com.au/htmlFolder/app1004.html

Worksheet: HCF and LCM.

15. Find the HCF and LCM of each

a) 39 and 6 b) 24 and 28

c) 64 and 45 d) 55 and 75

e) 30, 25 and 10 f) 60, 320 and 140

16. O’Hare International Airport in Chicago has a flight leaving for New York every 45
minutes and a flight leaving for Atlanta every 60 minutes. If a flight to New York
and a flight to Atlanta leave at the same time, how many minutes will it be before a
flight to New York City and a flight to Atlanta again leave at the same time?

17. Two lighthouses can be seen from the top of a hill. The first flashes once every 8
seconds, and the other flashes once every 15 seconds. If they flash at the same time,
how long will it be until they flash at the same time again?

18. Luis has 40 stamps from Europe and 56 stamps from Asia. He has to pack boxes
with the same number of stamps. They must be as big as possible and we can´t mix
any of them. How many stamps will he pack in every box? How many boxes with
stamps from Europe? How many boxes with stamps from Asia?

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19. To transport 12 dogs and 18 cats we are going to use cages of equal dimensions.
The cages will be as big as possible so that the same number of animals will fit in
every cage. How many animals will we carry in every cage?
Note: Nobody in his right mind would put cats and dogs together in the same cage.
We have to find the highest common denominator of 12 and 18.

8. Extra exercises

1. Which whole numbers from 1 to 10 are divisors of 9060?

2. List the single digit divisors of 1356. (Single digits only include 1-9.)

3. Here are some numbered discs:

From the discs write down:
(a) the discs which are prime numbers
(b) the discs which are factors of 12
(c) the discs which are square numbers.

4. Find all the factors of 64. After that, find all the factors of 40.

5. Choose from the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Which numbers are:
(a) Square? (b) Cube? (c) Powers of 2? (d) Prime?

6. Repeat Question (3) using the numbers 30 – 40 inclusive.

7. List the first five multiples of 13, and all the factors of 80.

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8. (a) Express 924 as a product of prime factors.
(b) What is the highest common factor (HCF) of 924 and 210?

9. Explain why 231 is not a prime number.

10. Drag

11. By writing 240 and 150 as a product of their prime factors, find the Highest
Common Factor (HCF) of 240 and 150.

12. Find the HCF (Highest Common Factor) and LCM (Lowest Common Multiple) of
16 and 24.

13. Fill in the divisibility table. (Mark with an “X”, if the column number can be
divided by the row number).

55 12 348 740 2772 330 1992 14550 253 53345

2
3
5
10

14. Mary’s father is a tourist bus driver, and so is Lily’s. Mary’s father drives a bus
which takes 120 minutes to make a round, while Lily’s father’s bus takes only 90
minutes. They only have a common bus stop in their circuits. One day Lily’s father asks

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Mary’s father to lend him a traditional music CD to play it in his bus. How long does it
take Mary’s father to get back his CD?

15. In a choir there are 18 boys and 24 girls. They want to make groups as big as
possible so that every group has the same number of members. In a group all members
are boys or all members are girls.

16. Jonathan’s father wants to divide a rectangular plot with a width of 120m and a
length of 180m into as big as possible square plots. What’s the square plot side length?

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