Count what is left over
Divide 14 into groups of 4. You can make 3 whole groups, with 2 left over: 14 = 4 × 3 + 2. Those 2 are the remainder. There are too few left to make another group of 4.
A positive factor divides a number with no remainder. Because 2 are left over, 4 is not a factor of 14. Every positive whole number has 1 and itself as factors.
Find factor pairs
Find pairs of positive whole numbers that multiply to 12: 1 × 12, 2 × 6 and 3 × 4. Each pair arranges all 12 squares into complete rows, with none left over.
The factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12: six in total. Include 1 and 12. Count each distinct number once, even if you write a pair in the opposite order.
Count the factors of a new number
How many positive factors does 10 have? Find pairs that multiply to 10.
Remember to include 1 and 10. Count every distinct factor once.
Try it
How many positive whole-number factors does 10 have?
- 4
- 2
Show the answer
4
Correct. The factor pairs are 1 × 10 and 2 × 5. The distinct factors are 1, 2, 5 and 10, so there are 4.
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Practice Number properties