Finding Factors of a Number

U02_L1_T3_we2 Finding Factors of a Number

Find all of the factors
of 120.

Or another way to think about
it, find all of the whole

numbers that 120 is
divisible by.

So the first one, that's
maybe obvious.

All whole numbers are
divisible by 1.

So we could write 120 is equal
to is to 1 times 120.

So let's write a factors
list over here.

So this is going to be our
factors list over here.

So we just found two factors.

We said, well, is it
divisible by 1?

Well, every whole number
is divisible by 1.

This is a whole number, so 1
is a factor at the low end.

1 is a factor.

That's its actual smallest
factor, and its

largest factor is 120.

You can't have something larger
than 120 dividing

evenly into 120.

121 will not go into 120.

So the largest factor
on our factors list

is going to be 120.

Now let's think about others.

Let's think about whether
is 2 divisible into 120?

So there's 120 equals
2 times something?

Well, when you look here,
maybe you immediately

recognize that 120 is
an even number.

It's ones place is a 0.

As as long as its ones place is
a 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8, as long

as it's an even number, the
whole number is even and the

whole number is divisible
by 2.

And to figure out what you have
to multiply by 2 to get

120, well, you can think of 120
as 12 times 10, or another

way to think about it,
it's 2 times 6 times

10, or 2 times 60.

You could divide it
out if you want.

You could say, OK,
2 goes into 120.

2 goes into 1 no times.

2 goes into 12 six times.

6 times 2 is 12.

Subtract.

You get 0.

Bring down the 0.

2 goes into 0 zero times.

0 times 2 is 0, and you get no
remainder there, so it goes

sixty times.

So we have two more factors
right here.

So we have the factors.

So we've established the next
lowest one is 2, and the next

highest factor, if we're
starting from the large end,

is going to be 60.

Now let's think about three.

Is 120 equal to 3
times something?

Well, we could just try to test
and divide it from the

get go, but hopefully,
you already know the

divisibility rule.

To figure out if something is
divisible by 3, you add up its

digits, and if the
sum is divisible

by 3, we're in business.

So if you take 120-- let
me do it over here.

1 plus 2 plus 0, well, that's
equal to 1 plus 2 is 3 plus 0

is 3, and 3 is definitely
divisible by 3.

So 120 is going to be
divisible by 3.

To figure what that number that
you have to multiply by 3

is, you could do it
in your head.

You could say, well, 3 goes into
12 four times, and then

you-- well, let me just do it
out, just in case, just for

those of you who want to
see it worked out.

3 goes into 12 four times.

4 times 3 is 12.

You subtract.

You're left with nothing here.

You bring down this 0.

3 goes into 0 zero times.

0 times 3 is 0.

Nothing left over.

So it goes into it
forty times.

And the way to think of it in
your head is this is the same

thing as 12 times 10.

12 divided by 3 is 4, but this
is going to be 4 times 10,

because you have that
10 left over.

Whatever works for you.

Or you can just ignore the 0,
divide by 3, you get a 4, and

then put the 0 back there.

Whatever works.

So we have two more factors.

At the low end, we have 3, and
at the high end, we have a 40.

Now, let's see if 4 divisible
into 120.

Now we saw the divisibility
rule for 4 is you ignore

everything beyond the tens
places and you just look at

the last two digits.

So if we're going to to think
about whether 4 is divisible,

you just look at the
last two digits.

The last two digits are 20.

20 is definitely divisible
by 4, so 120 will be

divisible by 4.

4 is going to be a factor.

And to figure out what we have
to multiply 4 by to get 120,

you could do it in your head.

You could say 12 divided
by 4 is 3, so 120

divided by 4 is 30.

So we have two more
factors: 4 and 30.

And you could work this out in
long division if you want to

make sure that this works out,
so let's keep going.

And then we have 120 is equal
to-- is 5 a factor?

Is 5 times something
equal to 120?

Well, you can't do that simple--
well, first of all,

we could just test
is it divisible?

And 120 ends with a 0.

If you end with a 0 or a 5,
you are divisible by 5.

So 5 definitely goes into it.

Let's figure out
how many times.

So 5 goes into 120.

It doesn't go into 1.

It goes into 12 two times.

2 times 5 is 10.

Subtract.

You get 2.

Bring down the 0.

5 goes into 20 four times.

4 times 5 is 20, and then you
subtract, and you have no left

over, as we expect, because
it should go in evenly.

This number ends with
a 0 or a 5.

Let me delete all of this so we
can have our scratch space

to work with later on.

So 5 times 24 is also equal
to 120, we have two more

factors: 5 and 24.

Let me clear up some space here
because I think we're

going to be dealing with
a lot of factors.

So let me move this
right here.

Let me cut it and then let me
paste it and move this over

here so we have more space
for our factors.

So we have 5 and 24.

Let's move on to 6.

So 120 is equal to
6 times what?

Now, to be divisible by
6, you have to be

divisible by 2 and 3.

Now, we know that we're already
divisible by 2 and 3,

so we're definitely going to
be divisible by 6, and you

should hopefully be able to
do this one in your head.

5 was a little bit harder to do
in your head. but 120, you

could say, well, 12 divided by 6
is 2, and then you have that

0 there, so 120 divided
by 6 would be 20.

And you could work it out in
long division if you like.

So 6 times 20 are two
more factors.

Now let's think about 7.

Let's think about 7 here.

7 is a very bizarre number, and
just to test it, you could

think of other ways to do it.

Let's just try to divide
7 into 120.

7 doesn't go into 1.

It goes into 12 one time.

1 times 7 is 7.

You subtract.

12 minus 7 is 5.

Bring down the 0.

7 times 7 is 49, so it goes
into it seven times.

7 times 7 is 49.

Subtract.

You have a remainder, so it
does not divide evenly.

So 7 does not work.

Now let's think about 8.

Let's think about
whether 8 works.

Let's think about 8.

I'll do the same process.

Let's take 8 into 120.

Let's just work it out.

And just as a little bit
of a hint-- well, I'll

just work it out.

8 goes into 12-- it doesn't
go into 1, so it

goes into 12 one time.

1 times 8 is 8.

Subtract there.

12 minus 8 is 4.

Bring down the 0.

8 goes into 40 five times.

5 times 8 is 40, and you're left
with no remainder, so it

goes evenly.

So 120-- let me get
rid of that.

120 is equal to 8 times 15, so
let's add that to our factor

list. We now have an 8
and now we have a 15.

Now, is it divisible by 9?

Is 120 divisible by 9?

To test that out, you just
add up the digits.

1 plus 2 plus 0 is equal to 3.

Well, that'll satisfy our 3
divisibility rule, but 3 is

not divisible by 9, so our
number will not be

divisible by 9.

So 9 will not work out.

9 does not work out.

So let's move on to 10.

Well, this is pretty
straightforward.

It ends in 0, so we will
be divisible by 10.

So let me write that down.

120 is equal to 10 times--
and this is pretty

straightforward-- 10 times 12.

This is exactly what 120 is.

It's 10 times 12, so let's
write those factors down.

10 and 12.

And then we have one
number left.

We have 11.

We don't have to go above 11,
because we already went

through 12, and we know that
there aren't any factors above

that, because we were going in
descending order, so we've

really filled in all the gaps.

You could try 11.

We could try it by hand,
if you like.

11 goes into 120-- now you know,
if with you know your

multiplication tables through
11, that this won't work, but

I'll just show you.

11 goes into 12 one time.

1 times 11 is 11.

Subtract.

1, bring down the 0.

11 goes into 10 zero times.

0 times 11 is 0.

you're left with a
remainder of 10.

So 11 goes into 20 ten times
with a remainder of 10.

It definitely does
not go in evenly.

So we have all of our factors
here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10,

12, 15, 20, 24, 30,
40, 60 and 120.

And we're done!