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Secondary 2 · Mathematics
Numbers · Natural numbers

Multiples and Divisors

Before you start, make sure you know: Multiples, divisors, and divisibility rules (Secondary Year 1 (first cycle))
Before you start, make sure you know: Prime numbers and prime factorization (Secondary Year 1 (first cycle))

Two buses leave the same stop at 8:00 a.m.: one leaves every $15$ minutes and the other every $20$. When will they leave together again? And if Yaritza has $24$ red stickers and $36$ blue ones and wants to make identical envelopes with none left over, how many envelopes can she make? All of this is solved with multiples and divisors.

Multiple and divisor

Rectangles help you see it. The number $12$ can be arranged in equal rows in several ways, and the sides of each rectangle are divisors of $12$.

The number 12 shown as rectangles of dots: 1 by 12, 2 by 6, and 3 by 4. 1 × 12 2 × 6 3 × 4

So the divisors of $12$ are $1, 2, 3, 4, 6$ and $12$. The multiples of $12$ are $12, 24, 36, 48, \dots$ and they never end.

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In a video game shop, they want to organise a shelf with $30$ games such that all rows have the same number of games and none are left over. Use the divisibility…

In a video game shop, they want to organise a shelf with $30$ games such that all rows have the same number of games and none are left over. Use the divisibility relation to complete the following sentences:

  1. a) If they put $5$ games in each row, there will be $6$ rows. Therefore, $30$ is a ________ of $5$.
  2. b) Since the division $30 : 10$ has no remainder, we say that $10$ is a ________ of $30$.
  3. c) The number $30$ is ________ by $2, 3$ and $5$ at the same time.
Solve
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Look at the following representation of "rectangular numbers" for the number $12$. Each rectangle represents a way of multiplying two numbers to get $12$. Based on the…

Look at the following representation of "rectangular numbers" for the number $12$. Each rectangle represents a way of multiplying two numbers to get $12$.

3 4 6 2 3 × 4 = 12 6 × 2 = 12

Based on the idea that the factors are the side lengths of these rectangles, write down all the factors of the number $18$ by drawing or imagining its possible rectangular shapes.

Solve
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A content creator likes the duration of their short videos to be a multiple of $9$. If they want to upload a video lasting between $40$ and $70$ seconds, what are all…

A content creator likes the duration of their short videos to be a multiple of $9$. If they want to upload a video lasting between $40$ and $70$ seconds, what are all the possible durations (in seconds) they can choose?

Solve

Divisibility rules

To find out whether a number is divisible by another without doing the division, we use shortcuts that look at its digits.

Check of the divisibility rules by 2, 3, and 5 for the number 4,350. 4,350 by 2: ends in 0 (even) ✓ by 3: 4+3+5+0 = 12, multiple of 3 ✓ by 5: ends in 0 ✓
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Apply the divisibility tests to state whether the number $4,350$ is divisible by the following values (answer YES/NO and briefly justify): a) Is it divisible by $2$? b)…

Apply the divisibility tests to state whether the number $4,350$ is divisible by the following values (answer YES/NO and briefly justify):

  1. a) Is it divisible by $2$?
  2. b) Is it divisible by $3$?
  3. c) Is it divisible by $5$?
  4. d) Is it divisible by $10$?
Solve
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A tech shop has received a shipment of tablets. The manager knows that the total number of tablets is a four-digit number of the form $4A7B$. To organise the inventory,…

A tech shop has received a shipment of tablets. The manager knows that the total number of tablets is a four-digit number of the form $4A7B$. To organise the inventory, the number needs to satisfy the following conditions:

  • It must be divisible by $5$ and by $2$ at the same time.

  • It must be a multiple of $9$.

Determine all possible values of $A$ and $B$ so that the manager can organise the inventory.

Solve
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At a cybersecurity agency, a programmer needs to create a five-digit passcode. The number, which we will call $N$, must simultaneously satisfy the following divisibility…

At a cybersecurity agency, a programmer needs to create a five-digit passcode. The number, which we will call $N$, must simultaneously satisfy the following divisibility conditions:

  • It is a palindromic number (it reads the same from left to right as from right to left).

  • The units digit is the first even prime number.

  • It is divisible by $3$, by $4$ and by $11$.

What is the value of this passcode $N$ if exactly three different digits appear in it?

PALINDROME a b c b a Divisible by 3, 4 and 11 First even prime
Solve

Prime and composite numbers

Comparison between prime numbers, which have only 1 and themselves as divisors, and composite numbers, such as 21, which is 3 times 7. primes 13, 17, 29, 37 only 1 and themselves composites 21 = 3 · 7 they can be “taken apart”

The first prime number is $2$, and it is the only even prime. The number $1$ is neither prime nor composite, because it has only one divisor.

To find out whether a number is prime, test it with the small primes ($2, 3, 5, 7, \dots$). If none of them divides it, it is prime. It is enough to test the primes whose square does not exceed the number.

Prime factorization

Every composite number can be written as a product of prime numbers. It is broken down with a factor tree until all the branches are prime.

Factor tree of the number 60: 60 is 6 times 10, and from there come 2, 3, 2, and 5, that is, 60 equals 2 squared times 3 times 5. 60 6 10 2 3 2 5 60 = 2 · 2 · 3 · 5 = 2² · 3 · 5
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Classify the following numbers from the list as prime or composite. Remember that composite numbers can be "broken down" as the product of other smaller numbers: $$13,…

Classify the following numbers from the list as prime or composite. Remember that composite numbers can be "broken down" as the product of other smaller numbers:

$$13, 21, 29, 33, 37, 45$$

Explain why you chose the number $21$ as composite, stating which numbers it can be divided by besides $1$ and itself.

Solve
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Complete the following "factor tree" to find the prime factorisation of the number $60$. Once completed, write the final factorisation using powers:…

Complete the following "factor tree" to find the prime factorisation of the number $60$.

? ? ? ? 6 10 60

Once completed, write the final factorisation using powers: $60 = 2^{\dots} \times \dots \times \dots$

Solve
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Natural numbers can be represented using rectangles based on their factors. For example, the number $12$ can be represented as a $3 \times 4$ rectangle or a $2 \times 6$…

Natural numbers can be represented using rectangles based on their factors. For example, the number $12$ can be represented as a $3 \times 4$ rectangle or a $2 \times 6$ rectangle.

Look at the following diagram and determine which number it is, knowing that it is the smallest number that can form exactly four different rectangles, one of which is a square as in the diagram (considering that a square is a special type of rectangle and that a base of $1 \times n$ also counts).

n 1 N = 1 × n b a N = a × b d c N = c × d e e N = e²
Solve

How many divisors a number has

With the prime factorization you can reason without calculating the number.

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Without calculating the numerical value of the number $N$, whose prime factorisation is $N = 2^3 \times 3^2 \times 5$, answer the following questions with reasons: a) Is…

Without calculating the numerical value of the number $N$, whose prime factorisation is $N = 2^3 \times 3^2 \times 5$, answer the following questions with reasons:

  1. a) Is $N$ a multiple of $12$?
  2. b) Is $15$ a factor of $N$?
  3. c) How many factors does the number $N$ have in total? (Use the formula based on exponents).
Solve
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A natural number is called "special" if it can be written as $2^a \times 3^b$, where $a$ and $b$ are natural numbers that can be $0$, and it has exactly $10$ natural…

A natural number is called "special" if it can be written as $2^a \times 3^b$, where $a$ and $b$ are natural numbers that can be $0$, and it has exactly $10$ natural divisors.

Determine all the possible "special" numbers that satisfy this condition.

Solve

Least common multiple (LCM)

When you want to know when two or more events that repeat at different rates coincide, you look for common multiples. The smallest of them is the least common multiple, LCM.

Two timelines with buses that leave every 15 and every 20 minutes; they coincide at 60 minutes. bus A: 15, 30, 45, 60 min bus B: 20, 40, 60 min 60

There are two ways to calculate it:

  • Listing multiples: multiples of $15$: $15, 30, 45, 60, \dots$; of $20$: $20, 40, 60, \dots$ The first common one is $60$.

  • With the prime factorization: you take all the primes (common and not common) with their greatest exponent.

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Two alarm clocks go off at different intervals. The first goes off every $15$ minutes and the second every $20$ minutes. If they have just gone off together right now at…

Two alarm clocks go off at different intervals. The first goes off every $15$ minutes and the second every $20$ minutes. If they have just gone off together right now at $08:00$ in the morning:

  1. a) In how many minutes will they sound together again for the first time? (Calculate the $m.c.m.$).
  2. b) At what exact time will they coincide again?
Solve
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Three content creators on a streaming platform upload videos at different frequencies: The first uploads a video every $18$ hours. The second uploads a video every $24$…

Three content creators on a streaming platform upload videos at different frequencies:

  • The first uploads a video every $18$ hours.

  • The second uploads a video every $24$ hours.

  • The third uploads a video every $2$ days.

If all three coincided by uploading a video today, Monday, at $09:00$ in the morning, on what day and at what time will all three coincide again for the first time?

Solve
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Three elite athletes are training on a circular track. The first takes $84\text{ seconds}$ to complete one full lap, the second takes $96\text{ seconds}$ and the third…

Three elite athletes are training on a circular track. The first takes $84\text{ seconds}$ to complete one full lap, the second takes $96\text{ seconds}$ and the third $120\text{ seconds}$. If all three start together from the finish line at $9:00$ in the morning:

  1. At what exact time will all three coincide at the finish line again for the first time?

  2. How many laps will each of them have completed at that moment?

⏱ 9:00 AM FINISH LINE 84s 96s 120s
Solve

Greatest common factor (GCF)

When you want to share or cut into equal parts with nothing left over, and you want the parts to be as large as possible, you look for the greatest common factor, GCF.

Sharing 24 red stickers and 36 blue ones into 12 identical envelopes, with 2 red and 3 blue in each envelope. 24 red and 36 blue GCF(24, 36) = 12 envelopes each envelope: 2 red and 3 blue
  • Listing divisors: the largest one that is common to all of them.

  • With the prime factorization: you take only the common primes, with their smallest exponent.

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Marta has $24$ red stickers and $36$ blue stickers. She wants to make identical surprise envelopes for her friends, such that each envelope has the same number of…

Marta has $24$ red stickers and $36$ blue stickers. She wants to make identical surprise envelopes for her friends, such that each envelope has the same number of stickers of each color and none are left over.

  1. a) What is the maximum number of envelopes she can prepare? (Calculate the $m.c.d.$).
  2. b) How many stickers of each color will be in each of those envelopes?
Solve
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An esports club wants to organize a charity tournament. They have $120$ blue t-shirts, $180$ red t-shirts and $210$ white t-shirts. They want to prepare gift backpacks…

An esports club wants to organize a charity tournament. They have $120$ blue t-shirts, $180$ red t-shirts and $210$ white t-shirts. They want to prepare gift backpacks containing the same number of t-shirts of each color, distributing all the t-shirts they have and without mixing colors within each individual package, while maximizing the number of t-shirts per backpack.

  1. a) What is the maximum number of t-shirts that can be in each backpack?
  2. b) How many backpacks of each color will be obtained?
120 blue n ? backpacks 180 red n ? backpacks 210 white n ? backpacks Same MAXIMUM quantity per backpack
Solve
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A carpenter has three wooden battens measuring $180\text{ cm}$, $252\text{ cm}$ and $420\text{ cm}$. He wants to cut them into equal pieces of the maximum possible…

A carpenter has three wooden battens measuring $180\text{ cm}$, $252\text{ cm}$ and $420\text{ cm}$. He wants to cut them into equal pieces of the maximum possible length to make mirror frames, so that no wood is left over from any batten.

  1. How long should each piece be?

  2. How many frames can he make if he needs exactly $4$ pieces for each frame?

Solve

GCF in measurement and floor tile problems

To cover a rectangular floor with square tiles of the largest possible size without cutting any, the side of the tile must be a common divisor of the length and the width. The largest one is the GCF.

If the measurements have decimals, convert them to a unit that makes them whole numbers (for example, from meters to centimeters) before calculating.

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The floor of a rectangular garage measuring $12.6$ meters long by $4.2$ meters wide is to be paved with square tiles that are as large as possible. The builder says he…

The floor of a rectangular garage measuring $12.6$ meters long by $4.2$ meters wide is to be paved with square tiles that are as large as possible. The builder says he does not want to cut any tiles.

  1. a) What should the dimensions of each tile be? (Express the result in centimeters).
  2. b) How many tiles will be needed in total to cover the entire floor?
Solve
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The floor of a rectangular room measuring $12.6\text{ meters}$ long by $7.2\text{ meters}$ wide is to be tiled with square tiles of the largest possible size, without…

The floor of a rectangular room measuring $12.6\text{ meters}$ long by $7.2\text{ meters}$ wide is to be tiled with square tiles of the largest possible size, without having to cut any.

  1. What should the side length of each tile be, expressed in centimeters?

  2. If each tile costs $\text{RD\$}\ 8.50$ and the tile adhesive required costs $\text{RD\$}\ 2.25$ per square meter of surface area, what will be the total budget for the materials for the room's floor?

Area to be tiled x 12.6 m 7.2 m x
Solve

Relationship between LCM and GCF

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Two natural numbers $a$ and $b$ have a product of $a \times b = 1512$. It is known that their highest common factor is $m.c.d.(a, b) = 6$. Using the property relating…

Two natural numbers $a$ and $b$ have a product of $a \times b = 1512$. It is known that their highest common factor is $m.c.d.(a, b) = 6$.

Using the property relating the product of two numbers to their $m.c.d.$ and their $m.c.m.$, calculate the lowest common multiple of those numbers.

Solve
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Find two natural numbers, $a$ and $b$, knowing that their highest common factor is $m.c.d.(a, b) = 15$ and that their product is $a \times b = 6750$. Note that neither…

Find two natural numbers, $a$ and $b$, knowing that their highest common factor is $m.c.d.(a, b) = 15$ and that their product is $a \times b = 6750$. Note that neither of the two numbers can be $15$ itself. Is there more than one possible solution? Justify your answer.

Solve
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A logistics warehouse is organising boxes of robotics kits. They have between $700$ and $900$ sensors. If they pack them in boxes of $12$, they have $7$ left over. If…

A logistics warehouse is organising boxes of robotics kits. They have between $700$ and $900$ sensors. If they pack them in boxes of $12$, they have $7$ left over. If they pack them in boxes of $15$, they also have $7$ left over. And if they pack them in boxes of $18$, they have $7$ sensors left over again. How many sensors do they have in the warehouse exactly?

Solve

Back to the start: the two buses that leave every $15$ and every $20$ minutes leave together again after $\text{LCM}(15, 20) = 60$ minutes, that is, at 9:00 a.m. And Yaritza can make $\text{GCF}(24, 36) = 12$ envelopes.

Summary

See all the exercises in this section