LESSON PACKAGE ON

Factors and Multiples

(Secondary 1 Express)

Contents:

Worksheet 1 Primes, Prime Factorisation and Index Notation Page 2 – 5

Worksheet 2 Highest Common Factor Page 6 – 7

Worksheet 3 Lowest Common Multiple Page 8 – 10

Worksheet 4 Square Roots and Cube Roots Page 11 – 13

Worksheet 5 Consolidation Exercise Page 14 – 15

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Worksheet 1

Primes, Prime Factorisation and Index Notation

(A) Definition: Factors
Factors of a number are whole numbers that can divide into any number exactly without
leaving any remainder.

Eg: 20 = 1�20
2 �10
4 �5

There the factors of 20 are ___________________________________.

Try it 1! Find the factors of 125.

(B) Definition: Multiples

When any number is multiplied by a non-zero number, we get a ___________ of the number.

Eg: Multiples of 3 are: ______________________________________

Multiples of 5 are: ______________________________________

Concluding:

When we express 12 as a product of two whole numbers such as

12 = 3  4

then the following are true

 3 is a factor of 12,
 4 is a factor of 12
 12 is a multiple of 3
 12 is a multiple of 4.

The following are different ways to express 12 as a product of two of its factors:

12 = 1 12

12 = 2  6

12 = 3  4

Thus 12 has 6 factors, namely, ________________________.

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(C) Definition: Prime Numbers

A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that has only 2 factors, ________ and
__________.

Eg: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13,…

(D) Definition: Composite Numbers

A composite number is a whole number greater than 1 that has more than 2 factors.

Eg: 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, ….

___________________________________________________________________

Try it 2! Show and explain whether the following are prime or composite numbers.

(a) 127

(b) 473

(E) Definition: Prime Factorisation

The way to express a composite number as a product of prime factors is called prime
factorisation.

Example:

30 = 6 x 5

is not prime factorisation as 6 is not prime.

30 = 2 x 3 x 5

is a prime factorisation of 30

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Try it!

Find the prime factorisation of 585 using

Method 1: a factor tree and

Method 2: by successive short division (shown under ‘remark’ on page 5 of your textbook)

Method 1: Method 2:

Index Notation:
When a number is multiplies moer than once, we can use a notation to represent the product
as follows:
Index

5 x 5 = 52 (In Index Notation) 53

5 x 5 x 5 = 53 (In Index Notation) Base

5 x 5 x 5 x 5 = 54 (In Index Notation)

Try it 5! Find the prime factorisation of 702, expressing the answer in index notation.

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More practice!
Express each of the following as a product of prime factors, giving your answers in index
notation. You may use the factor tree method or the method by successive divisions.

(a) 48 (a) 72

(a) 80 (a) 100

(a) 350 (a) 2500

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Worksheet 2
Highest Common Factor

Definition: Highest Common Factor

The largest common factor of a group of numbers is called the highest common factor
(H.C.F.) of the given number.

Factors of 30: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15 and 30.

42: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21 and 42.

The common factors of 30 and 42 are 1, 2, 3 and 6. The highest common factor of 30 and 42
is 6.
This is the listing method.

Method 2: By Prime Factorisation

Find the H.C.F. of 225 and 270 using prime factorisation method.
Find the prime factoristion
2 2
225 = 3x3 x5x5 = 3 x5 of each number

270 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 5 = 2 x 33 x 5

To get HCF, multiply the lowest

power of each common prime factor.

Method 3: Using Successive Division

Find the H.C.F. of 225 and 270 using successive division.

Divide by the smallest
common prime factor 3.
3 225, 270

3 75, 90
Divide by the next smallest
5 25, 30 common prime factor 5.

5, 6

STOP when there is no

common factor.

HCF = 3 x 3 x 5 = 45

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Try it! 7. Find the HCF of 84, 126, 245 using the method of prime factorisatioon and the
method of successive division.

Method 1: Prime Factorisation Method 3: Using Successive Division

Try it! 8
A rectangular piece of paper of 35 cm by 28 cm is cut to obtain identical squares. Find the
largest possible length of a side of each figure.

Further Practice
1. Given that 120  2 3  3  5 and 252  2 2  3 2  7 . Find the Highest Common Factor
(H.C.F.) of 120 and 252, giving your answer in index notation.

2. Salina has two pieces of ribbon, A and B. The lengths of A and B are 165 cm and
270 cm, respectively. She wants to divide the two pieces of ribbon into strips of equal
length.

(a) What is the longest length of each strip of ribbon Salina can obtain?
(b) Hence, how many strips can she divide ribbon A and ribbon B into?

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Worksheet 3
Lowest Common Multiple

Definition: The Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of two ormore whole numbers is the
____________ common multiple of the numbers.

Recall what you have learnt about factors and multiples in primary school. Consider the
number 4 and 6.
Multiple of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, ……

Multiple of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, …………..

The common multiples are 12, 24, 36, ………… The lowest common multiple (L.C.M.) of 4
and 6 is 12; not 4 x 6!

Another example,

Multiple of 2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 ……

Multiple of 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 …………..

The common multiples are 6, 12, 18, ………… The lowest common multiple (L.C.M.) of 2
and 3 is 6. It is 2 x 3. What can we say about the latter example in finding the L.C.M. of a
group of numbers?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

There are two methods of finding LCM.

Method 1: Prime Factorisation
Find the L.C.M.. of 225 and 270 using prime factorisation method.
Find the prime factoristion
225 = 3x3 x5x5 = 32 x 52 of each number

270 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 5 = 2 x 33 x 5

To get LCM, multiply the highest

power of each common prime factor.
LCM = 2 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 5 x 5 = 2 x 33 x 52 Also, include the uncommon factors

LCM = 1350

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Method 2: Finding LCM through Successive Divisions
Find the L.C.M. of 225 and 270 using ladder method.

3 225, 270

3 75, 90 LCM = 3 x 3 x 5 x 5 x 3 x 2 = 1350

5 25, 30

5 5, 6

3 1, 6
All must be prime numbers.
2 1, 2

1, 1

Stop when all are 1.

NOTE THE DIFFERENCE IN FINDING HCF AND LCM.

Practice:
Find the L.C.M. of 60 and 72 using prime factorisation and by successive divisions.
Method 1: Prime Factorisation Method 2: Successive Divisions

Try it! 12 (pg 13)

The figure shows a gear system in which the numbers of teeth on the big and small wheels are 20 and
16 respectively. The tooth X on the big wheel and the tooth Y on the small wheel are engaged at the
start.

(a) Find the number of tooth contacts that the two wheels will make before
X and Y are engaged again.

(b) Find the number of revolutions that each wheel will have made by then.

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Further Practice:
1. Find the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of 2  3 2  5 and 2 2  33  7  13 .

Leaving your answers in index notation.

2. Four bus services leave Bedok Interchange at 7 am. Service P leaves at 5 minute
intervals, service Q at 8 minute intervals, service R at 10 minute intervals and service
S at 12 minute intervals. Find the time when the 4 services next leave the Interchange
together.

3. Three bells chime at intervals of 24 minutes, 30 minutes and 72 minutes respectively.

If they chime together at 06 45, at what time will they chime together again?

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Worksheet 4
Square Roots and Cube Roots

(A) Square Roots and Cube Roots

Recall what you have learnt about index notation,

5x5 When a number is multiply by itself,

= 52 (In Index Notation) the product is called _____________ of the number.

= 25. 25 is called ___________________________

5cm
Area
of 5cm

Square =?

1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, …….. are called ____________________________ .

Note that:
22  4 42

32  9 9 3

4 2  16 16  4

5 2  25 25  5

Find the square root of 1521.

1521  3  3  13  13

= 3  13  3  13

= (3  13)  (3  13)

= (3  13) 2

1521  (3  13) 2

 (3  13) = 39

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Try it! 15
The area of a square is 7225 cm2. Find the length of a side of the square.

More Practice:
Using the prime factorization method, find the 32400 and 1296 .

32400 = 1296

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B. Cubes and Cube Roots
5cm
Recall what you have learnt about index notation,

5x5x5 Volume 5 cm
= 53 (In Index Notation) of Cube

= 125. 5 cm

When a number is multiply by 3 times, the product of 3 identical number is called _______
of the number. 125 is called ___________________________

1 , 8, 27, 64, 125, …….. are called ____________________________ .

Note that:
23  8 3
82

33  27 3
27  3

4 3  64 3
64  4

Find the cube root of 2744 without the use of calculator.

2744  2  2  2  7  7  7

= 27 27 27

= ( 2  7)  ( 2  7)  ( 2  7 )

= ( 2  7) 3

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2744  3 (2 �7)3  ( 2  7) = 14

Try it! 16
Find the cube root of 1000.

Try it! 17
The volume of a cube is 2744 cm3. Find the length of a side of the cube.

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Worksheet 5
Consolidation Exercise
1. (a) Express
(i) 216000
(ii) 518400
as a product of prime factors in index notation.

(b) Hence find

(i) 3
216000
(ii) 518400
(iii) the HCF of 216000 and 518400
(iv) the LCM of 3 216000 and 518400

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2. The HCF and LCM of three numbers are 12 and 23 �32 �7 respectively. Given that two
of the numbers are 24 and 36, find the third number.

3. Robert, John and Paul start to run from the same point, in the same direction, around a
circular track. If they take 126 seconds, 154 seconds and 198 seconds respectively to
complete one round along the track, when will they next meet again at the starting point?

4. Find the smallest number of cubes that can be cut from an 8m x 12m x 16m cuboid
without having any remainder from the original cuboid.

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