Math 10C Module 2 Lesson 1

Module 2: Roots and Powers

 

Lesson 1 Summary

 

In this lesson you investigated the following questions:

  • How are prime numbers important in factoring?
  • How is factoring similar to other problem-solving strategies?

Since prime numbers have no factors other than 1 and themselves, they represent the basic building blocks of the number system. You learned that you can use prime factorization to break a composite number into a product of primes. You can then use those prime numbers to determine the greatest common factor and the lowest common multiple of sets of numbers. You learned multiple methods for determining GCF and LCM besides prime factorization. These include the ladder method and the method of listing factors and multiples. The methods were many, but they were similar because each one involved breaking the numbers into smaller factors.

In this lesson you learned to approach math problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. You can use this approach to tackle other types of problems. For example, in the first unit of this course, you learned to solve trigonometry problems by finding the right triangle in the scenario and then labelling the known and unknown sides and angles. You can also apply this strategy to other types of problems besides those found in a math textbook. Any complicated task such as learning how to drive or planning a birthday party involves smaller steps that all lead to the achievement of the overall task.

In the next lesson you will continue to learn how to use the strategy of breaking down a problem to find square roots and cube roots.

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