Factors, Product, and

Exponents
Prealgebra
Multiplication

 7 x 5 = 35
 Where 7 and 5 are factors.
 And 35 is called product.
 7 x 5 = 35 is same as
 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 35
Factors

 9 x 4 = 36
 The number 9 and 4 are factors of 36 because they divide 36 with no remainders.
 Factor x factor = product.
 36 is called product.
 Only composite numbers have factors.
 Prime numbers have two factors – 1 and itself
 Example, 2, 3 , 5 , 7, …
Exponents

 Sometimes a factor is multiplied repeatedly.

 The number 5 is called base.

 The superscript 4 is called exponent.
 The exponent indicates how many times the base is multiplied to itself.
Prime Factorization
Prealgebra
Prime and Composite Numbers

 Whole number greater than 1 whose factors are 1 and the number itself is called a Prime
number.
 Examples, 2, 3, 5, 7, …
 Whole number greater than 1 having factors other than 1 and itself is called a Composite
number. These are not prime numbers.

 Example, 45, 66, 35, …

Fundamental Principle of Arithmetics

 Every whole number other than 1 can be represented in one and only one way
as a product of prime numbers.

 When a number is factored and its factors are all prime numbers then it called
prime factorization.

 Prime factorization only applied to composite numbers.

Example : Prime factorization

84= 2. 42
¿ 2 . 2 .21
¿ 2 . 2 .3 . 7
2
¿ 2 . 3 .7
Example : Prime factorization

2 80
2 40 The prime factors are
2 20
80=2 . 2 .2 . 2 .5
2 10
4
5 5 ¿ 2 .5

1
Least Common Multiple
Prealgebra
Multiples

 A whole number multiplied with other whole numbers give multiples except zero.
 Anything multiplied by zero is a zero.
 For example,
 2 x 1 = 2, 2 x 3 = 6, …
 3 x 1 = 3, 3 x 2 = 6, 3 x 3 =9, 3 x 4 = 12, …
Common Multiples

 Two whole numbers can have common multiples which are divisible by both number
without leaving remainder.
 Multiples of 2 : 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18…
 Multiples of 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, …
 The numbers highlighted in red are common multiples of 2 and 3.
L.C.M (Least Common Multiple)

 You already know that the whole numbers have common multiples and the least common
multiple is the first multiple common to both the numbers.

 Multiples of 5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, …

 Multiples of 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, …

 Note that the number 15 is smallest and first common multiple of both 5 and 3.
Find L.C.M

 To find the L.C.M of two or more numbers.

 Find their prime factors.
 Find common bases with their highest exponents.
 Multiply the common bases with exponents.
 Example , find LCM(4, 12)
 Prime Factors of 4: 2 x 2 =
 Prime Factors of 12: 2 x 2 x 3 = x 3
 Least Common factors is = 4
Find LCM

 Find lcm (90, 360)

 90: 2 x 3 x 3 x 5 =
 360: 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 5 =
 The least common multiple is 3 x 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 = 360
 Find lcm(35, 60)
 35: 5 x 7
 60: 5 x 3 x 2
 The LCM is 5 x 3 x 2 x 7 = 210
Equivalent Fractions
Prealgebra
Equivalent Fractions

 Fractions having same values are called equivalent fractions.

 2/4 and 4/8 are same fraction.
 The equivalent fractions are sometimes not in the reduced form.

1/8 1/8
1/4 1/4
1/8 1/8
1/4 1/4 1/8 1/8
1/8 1/8
Reducing a fraction

 To reduce a fraction to its lowest form means the smallest denominator and numerator in
the collection of equivalent fractions.
 First do the prime factorization of the numerator and denominator of the fraction which
you want to reduce.
 “Cancel” the same factors from numerator and denominator.
 The remaining value is the reduced form and the processing is called reducing a fraction
to its lowest form.
Example: Reducing a fraction to lowest form

 Reduce 16/84 into lowest form

 =
 =
Raising a Fraction to Higher Number

 Raising a fraction to higher number requires that you multiply the numerator and
denominator by same non-zero constant.

 =

 . =