Prime Factorization
A bakery packs $24$ cupcakes in boxes: $2 \times 12$, $3 \times 8$, $4 \times 6$, and more. Lots of ways! But if you break $24$ all the way down into primes, there is only one answer. What is it, and why is it so useful?
Prime or composite?
Prime numbers are the building blocks of every other number, so you need to spot them fast.
The first primes are $2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, \ldots$ Here they are on a chart of the numbers from $1$ to $30$.
To test a number $n$, divide it by the primes $2, 3, 5, 7, \ldots$ and stop when the prime squared is bigger than $n$. Why can you stop? If $n = a \times b$ with $a \le b$, then $a \times a \le n$. So a factor pair always has a small member you would have already tried.
Classify the following natural numbers into prime or composite. Remember that prime numbers are those that only have two divisors: $1$ and themselves.…
Classify the following natural numbers into prime or composite. Remember that prime numbers are those that only have two divisors: $1$ and themselves.
$14, 17, 21, 23, 27, 29, 33, 37$
They want to design a special barcode based on a number $K$. This number is formed by multiplying the first $n$ prime numbers consecutively (for example, if $n=3$, the…
They want to design a special barcode based on a number $K$. This number is formed by multiplying the first $n$ prime numbers consecutively (for example, if $n=3$, the number would be $2 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 = 30$).
If we want the number $K$ to:
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Be greater than $1000$ but less than $5000$.
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Have exactly $6$ distinct prime factors in its prime factorization.
What is the value of $K$? Show the list of prime numbers you have used and check that the result is within the requested range.
The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic
Now back to $24$. Break it into smaller factors until every factor is prime.
When a prime repeats, write it as a power: $2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 3 = 2^3 \times 3$. By convention, list the primes from smallest to largest.
You can also go backward. To find the number, evaluate the powers first, then multiply. And if a problem says a number has only the prime factors $2$ and $3$, it must look like $2^a \times 3^b$.
State which number the following prime factorizations correspond to: a) $2^{2} \cdot 3 \cdot 5$ b) $2^{3} \cdot 7$ c) $3^{2} \cdot 11$
State which number the following prime factorizations correspond to:
- a) $2^{2} \cdot 3 \cdot 5$
- b) $2^{3} \cdot 7$
- c) $3^{2} \cdot 11$
What is the largest two-digit number that has only $2$ and $3$ as prime factors in its factorization? Help example: the number $6 = 2 \cdot 3$ meets the condition, but…
What is the largest two-digit number that has only $2$ and $3$ as prime factors in its factorization?
Help example: the number $6 = 2 \cdot 3$ meets the condition, but it is not the largest two-digit number.
The factor tree
A visual way to factor: split the number into any two factors, then keep splitting each branch that isn't prime. Circle a branch when it reaches a prime, because it stops there.
Every number in the tree equals the product of its two children. That gives you two quick checks. If a number is missing, divide the parent by the child you know. And when you multiply all the end primes, you must get the starting number back.
Complete the following factor tree for the number $24$. You must find two numbers that multiplied give the level above, until all the numbers at the ends are prime.…
Complete the following factor tree for the number $24$. You must find two numbers that multiplied give the level above, until all the numbers at the ends are prime.
Finally, write the factorization of $24$ as a product of its prime factors.
Copy this prime factorization diagram into your notebook and fill in the empty gaps (marked with the letter $x$) with the corresponding numbers:
Copy this prime factorization diagram into your notebook and fill in the empty gaps (marked with the letter $x$) with the corresponding numbers:
The division ladder
For bigger numbers, a ladder is faster. Write the number, draw a bar to its right, and divide by the smallest prime that works. Write the quotient below and repeat until you reach $1$. (Some problems call this the vertical line method.)
The numbers on the right of the bar are the prime factors. Use the divisibility rules to choose each divisor: even numbers → $2$; digit sum a multiple of $3$ → $3$; ends in $0$ or $5$ → $5$.
Fill in the gaps of the following prime factorization of a number using the vertical line method: Write the final result of the factorization using powers.
Fill in the gaps of the following prime factorization of a number using the vertical line method:
Write the final result of the factorization using powers.
Find the prime factorization of the following numbers. Express the final result as a product of powers: a) $36$ b) $45$ c) $80$
Find the prime factorization of the following numbers. Express the final result as a product of powers:
- a) $36$
- b) $45$
- c) $80$
Reading divisibility from a factorization
Once a number is factored, you can answer questions about its multiples and divisors without computing its value.
Look at the prime factorization of the following numbers: $A = 2^{2} \cdot 3 \cdot 7$ $B = 2 \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5$ Without performing the multiplications, answer with…
Look at the prime factorization of the following numbers:
$A = 2^{2} \cdot 3 \cdot 7$
$B = 2 \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5$
Without performing the multiplications, answer with reasoning:
- a) Is the number $A$ a multiple of $7$?
- b) Is the number $B$ divisible by $10$? (Hint: observe if it has the necessary factors to form $10$).
- c) Is the number $3$ a divisor of $A$?
From the prime factorization of the number $150$, answer the following questions reasoning your answer: a) Is $150$ divisible by $10$? b) Is $150$ divisible by $4$? c)…
From the prime factorization of the number $150$, answer the following questions reasoning your answer:
- a) Is $150$ divisible by $10$?
- b) Is $150$ divisible by $4$?
- c) Is $150$ divisible by $15$?
Find the number whose prime factorization is $2^3 \cdot 3^2 \cdot 11$. Once found, explain whether that number is a multiple of $6$ and $22$ by looking only at its prime…
Find the number whose prime factorization is $2^3 \cdot 3^2 \cdot 11$. Once found, explain whether that number is a multiple of $6$ and $22$ by looking only at its prime factors (without performing divisions).
Finding all the factors
Every factor of $N$ is made from the primes of $N$, using each prime between $0$ and its full exponent times. Multiply every combination and you get all the factors.
Here is $20 = 2^2 \times 5$. The rows are the choices for the $2$ ($2^0, 2^1, 2^2$) and the columns are the choices for the $5$ ($5^0, 5^1$).
Factors come in pairs that multiply to $N$: $1 \times 18$, $2 \times 9$, $3 \times 6$. That is how you split $N$ items into equal groups ("$3$ groups of $6$"). The same idea works for a box with volume $V = \ell \times w \times h$: the prime factors of $V$ are shared out among the three edges. For example, a box of volume $30 \text{ in.}^3$ can have edges $2$, $3$, $5$, or $1$, $5$, $6$.
A Physical Education teacher wants to organize their $28$ students into equal groups of more than $2$ people but fewer than $10$, so that no student is left over. Use…
A Physical Education teacher wants to organize their $28$ students into equal groups of more than $2$ people but fewer than $10$, so that no student is left over.
Use the prime factorization of $28$ to find all the possible ways of making the groups.
A professional Instagram photographer wants to organize their photo feed. They have $210$ images and want to post them in equal blocks. a) Find the prime factorization…
A professional Instagram photographer wants to organize their photo feed. They have $210$ images and want to post them in equal blocks.
- a) Find the prime factorization of $210$.
- b) Write down four different ways of grouping the photos (for example: "3 blocks of 70 photos") using combinations of their prime factors.
A logistics company uses small cubic boxes to store parts. The total volume of a cargo container is $151200$ $cm^{3}$. The container must be completely filled with…
A logistics company uses small cubic boxes to store parts. The total volume of a cargo container is $151200$ $cm^{3}$. The container must be completely filled with rectangular packages measuring $a$ in wide, $b$ in long and $c$ in high, where $a$, $b$ and $c$ are distinct prime numbers.
If we know that the container can hold exactly a number of packages that is a multiple of $10$:
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Find the prime factorization of $151200$.
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Identify the possible dimensions of the packages if the volume of each package must be greater than $100$ $cm^{3}$.
Counting the divisors
You don't need to list the factors just to count them. In the grid for $20$, there were $3$ rows and $2$ columns, so $3 \times 2 = 6$ factors.
A video game designer wants to organize a virtual warehouse of items. To do this, they need to know how many divisors the number of available boxes has, which is $360$.…
A video game designer wants to organize a virtual warehouse of items. To do this, they need to know how many divisors the number of available boxes has, which is $360$.
- a) Find the prime factorization of $360$.
- b) Using the rule of exponents (add one to each exponent of the factorization and multiply them), calculate the total number of divisors that $360$ has.
A 7th grade student claims to have found a number $X$ whose prime factorization is $2^{2} \cdot 3^{4} \cdot 6^{2} \cdot 5$. 1. Explain why this expression is not a valid…
A 7th grade student claims to have found a number $X$ whose prime factorization is $2^{2} \cdot 3^{4} \cdot 6^{2} \cdot 5$.
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Explain why this expression is not a valid prime factorization.
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Correct the expression so that it is a real prime factorization.
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Without calculating the numerical value of $X$, determine how many divisors it has. Show the calculation process step by step.
A hacker has blocked access to a server and left the following clue about the numerical password, which is a four-digit number $N$: The prime factorization of $N$ is of…
A hacker has blocked access to a server and left the following clue about the numerical password, which is a four-digit number $N$:
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The prime factorization of $N$ is of the form $2^{a} \cdot 3^{b} \cdot 5^{c}$.
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The total number of divisors of $N$ is exactly $30$.
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The number is a multiple of $100$ but is not a multiple of $8$.
Determine with reasoning the value of the password $N$ and show its complete prime factorization.
Greatest common factor
The greatest common factor (GCF) of two numbers is the largest number that divides both. (Some problems write it as M.C.D.) With prime factorizations you can find it quickly.
Working backward. Sometimes the GCF is given and an exponent is unknown. Suppose $A = 2^4 \times 5^x$ and $B = 2^y \times 5^3 \times 7$ have $\text{GCF} = 2^2 \times 5^3$.
Find the prime factorization of the numbers $720$ and $1260$ using the vertical line method. Once the expressions in power form are obtained, state which prime factors…
Find the prime factorization of the numbers $720$ and $1260$ using the vertical line method. Once the expressions in power form are obtained, state which prime factors they have in common and what is the highest exponent with which each one appears in both factorizations.
Consider two natural numbers, $A$ and $B$, whose prime factorizations are as follows: $A = 2^{3} \cdot 3^{x} \cdot 5^{2}$ $B = 2^{y} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 7^{1}$ Knowing…
Consider two natural numbers, $A$ and $B$, whose prime factorizations are as follows:
$A = 2^{3} \cdot 3^{x} \cdot 5^{2}$
$B = 2^{y} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 7^{1}$
Knowing that the greatest common factor of both is $M.C.D.(A, B) = 36$, find the value of the unknowns $x$ and $y$. Once found, calculate the value of the least common multiple $m.c.m.(A, B)$ also expressed in its prime factorization form.
Least common multiple
The least common multiple (LCM) is the smallest number that is a multiple of each number. (Some problems write it as m.c.m.) It tells you when repeating cycles line up again.
Check: for any two numbers, $\text{GCF} \times \text{LCM}$ equals the product of the numbers. For $72$ and $120$: $24 \times 360 = 8{,}640 = 72 \times 120$. ✓ (Here $\text{LCM}(72, 120) = 2^3 \times 3^2 \times 5 = 360$.)
Working backward. If an LCM is given, each exponent in it is the largest exponent among the numbers. So an unknown exponent can't be bigger than the one in the LCM, and at least one number must reach it exactly.
In a satellite network, Satellite A completes an orbit every $1260$ minutes, Satellite B every $1584$ minutes and Satellite C every $n$ minutes. It is known that the…
In a satellite network, Satellite A completes an orbit every $1260$ minutes, Satellite B every $1584$ minutes and Satellite C every $n$ minutes.
It is known that the last time the three coincided in the sky over Chicago was exactly the time indicated by their $m.c.m$ ago.
If the prime factorization of $n$ is $2^{3} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 7$, calculate:
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The prime factorization of the times of satellites A and B.
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The total time (in minutes) that must pass for the three satellites to coincide again. Leave the result expressed as a product of powers of prime factors.
We have three natural numbers decomposed into prime factors: $n_1 = 2^{3} \cdot p \cdot 7$ $n_2 = 2^{q} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5$ $n_3 = 3 \cdot 5^{2} \cdot 11$ If we know…
We have three natural numbers decomposed into prime factors:
$n_1 = 2^{3} \cdot p \cdot 7$
$n_2 = 2^{q} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5$
$n_3 = 3 \cdot 5^{2} \cdot 11$
If we know that:
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$M.C.D.(n_1, n_2) = 8$
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$m.c.m.(n_2, n_3) = 2^{2} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5^{2} \cdot 11$
Find the values of the unknown prime numbers or exponents $p$ and $q$. Justify your answer using the properties of prime factorization for calculating the $M.C.D.$ and the $m.c.m$.
Perfect squares and perfect cubes
A perfect square is a number like $36 = 6^2$. In prime factors, squaring a number doubles every exponent. So a number is a perfect square exactly when all exponents are even. For a perfect cube, all exponents are multiples of $3$.
Taking the root goes the other way: divide every exponent by $2$ (square root) or by $3$ (cube root). For example, $\sqrt{2^4 \times 3^2} = 2^2 \times 3 = 12$.
For a number that must be a perfect square and a multiple of several numbers, find the LCM first, then fix the odd exponents. For example, for $12 = 2^2 \times 3$ and $20 = 2^2 \times 5$: $\text{LCM} = 2^2 \times 3 \times 5$. The exponents of $3$ and $5$ are odd, so multiply by $3 \times 5$ to get $2^2 \times 3^2 \times 5^2 = 900 = 30^2$.
We say that a number is a perfect square if all the exponents of its prime factorization are even numbers. a) Find the prime factorization of the number $180$. Is it a…
We say that a number is a perfect square if all the exponents of its prime factorization are even numbers.
- a) Find the prime factorization of the number $180$. Is it a perfect square?
- b) What is the smallest number by which you would have to multiply $180$ so that the result is indeed a perfect square? Justify your answer by analyzing the exponents.
The volume of a cube-shaped box is exactly $1728$ in$^3$. a) Find the prime factorization of the number $1728$. b) Knowing that the volume of a cube is calculated as…
The volume of a cube-shaped box is exactly $1728$ in$^3$.
- a) Find the prime factorization of the number $1728$.
- b) Knowing that the volume of a cube is calculated as $V = l^3$ (where $l$ is the edge), use the previous factorization to group the factors into three identical groups and find the measurement of the edge.
Find out which is the smallest number that simultaneously meets these three conditions: It is a perfect square (all the exponents of its prime factorization are even).…
Find out which is the smallest number that simultaneously meets these three conditions:
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It is a perfect square (all the exponents of its prime factorization are even).
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It is a multiple of $42$.
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It is a multiple of $60$.
To solve it, use the prime factorization of $42$ and $60$ and reason which factors and exponents you must add to obtain the minimum perfect square.
Back to the start: the cupcakes. $24 = 2^3 \times 3$ is the only prime factorization, and from it you can read everything: it has $(3+1)(1+1) = 8$ factors ($1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24$), so there are exactly $8$ box sizes that work.