Math 10C Module 2 Lesson 1

Module 2: Roots and Powers

 

Lesson 1: Factors and Multiples

 

Focus

This shows a photo of a mother and daughter preparing a meal together.

© Monkey Business Images/shutterstock

 

You will begin this module with a study of prime factors, which are based on prime numbers. A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and itself.

 

Factoring numbers is about breaking them down into their parts. Finding the prime factors of a number is when you break a number into its most basic parts—parts that cannot be broken down any further.

 

As an analogy, think about how you prepare food. You make a cake or an omelette by combining ingredients. The digestion process breaks that food down into its prime components: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. The food is the whole number and the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are the prime factors. Also, the ingredients you combine to make the food could be other factors of the food.

 

With this analogy in mind, look at the following example:

 

 

6 × 10 = 60

 

The ingredients (factors) are 6 and 10, and 60 is the food (whole number).

 

Break 60 down into key components.

 

 

60 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5

 

Again, 60 is the food (whole number). Now 2, 3, and 5 are the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates (prime factors).

 

In this lesson you will learn how to find the prime factors of numbers. You will also investigate how you can use the prime factorization of a number to determine the greatest common factor and lowest common multiple of sets of whole numbers.

 

Outcomes

 

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to demonstrate an understanding of factors of whole numbers by

  • determining the prime factors of a whole number
  • explaining why the numbers 0 and 1 have no prime factors
  • determining, using a variety of strategies, the greatest common factor or least common multiple of a set of whole numbers and explaining the process
Lesson Questions
  • How are prime numbers important in factoring?
  • How is factoring similar to other problem-solving strategies?
Lesson Completion and Assessment

As you work through each lesson, complete all the questions and learning activities in your binder using paper and pencil, clearly labeling your work (they refer to this as your course folder). These include the Are you Ready, Try This, Share and Self Check questions. Check your work if answers are provided. Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course.
Once you have completed all of the learning activities, take the Lesson Quiz. This is the assessment for each lesson and is located under the Assess tab or by using the Quizzes link under the Activities block.


** Note – Share questions may have to be done on your own depending on your learning situation**


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