Factors

Factors: First Exercise

Materials:
Pegboard and pegs,
Strips of paper for writing numbers
Label Factor

A factor is a number contained exactly in another number.

Presentation:
1. Choose a number, for example, 18.
2. Make the number in pegs on the
pegboard and write it on a small slip
of paper.
3. Explain to the child that you want to
find all the factors of the number 18.
4. Write on as slip of paper - A factor is
a number contained exactly in another
number.
6. Take 18 green pegs and see if you
can make 18 in one column.
7. Take another 18 green pegs to see if
18 can be placed in two even
columns. We find that two is exactly
contained in 18, so we write 2 on a
slip of paper and place it at the
beginning of the row with groups of
two.
8. The see if it is possible to make
groups of three (3 columns) an exact
number of times. Take 18 pegs of a
different color and make groups of
three. We find that three is exactly
contained in 18. We write 3 on a slip and place it at the beginning of the row with
groups of three.
9. Do the same with all the numbers up to nine.
10. The results: groups of one, two, three, six, nine and 18 are contained in 18 an exact
number of times.
11. Explain that these are the factors of 18. Explain the term factor again:
A factor is a number contained exactly in another number.
12. The child discovers that the factors of 18 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18.
13. Have the child work with other numbers, finding the factors in the same way.

MMTTC - Factors 1 99
 Common Factors
Factors: Second Exercise:
Factor
Materials:
$ Pegboard and pegs Common factors
$ strips of paper for writing numbers
$ Labels

Presentation:
Note: This work is done after the child has worked with the factors of one number for
some time and understands the concept of factor well.
1. This time take two numbers, for example, 12 and 18. Explain to the child that we
want to find the factors that are in each of these numbers. In other words, we want
to find the common factors.
2. First, find the factors of 12, as done in the previous exercise.
3. Then, find the factors of 18.
4. We see that the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 - the factors of 18 are 1, 2, 3,
6, 9, and 18.
8. Ask the child which factors are in both
numbers. These are 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Therefore, 1, 2, 3, and 6 are the Common factors of 12 and 18
common factors of 12 and 18.
9. Remove the labels for the other
factors which are not common, i.e. 4,
9, 12, and 18.

Have the child explore the common factors

of other numbers in the same way,
sometimes considering three numbers.

Note: It is possible to give this exercise

prior to the exercise where the child find
the LCM, that is, parallel to the first
exercise with common multiples.
Factoring is an integral part of the work
with multiples, and visa-versa.

9-12 Mathematics by Rosann Larrow 2015 Factors- 2

 Prime Factors
Materials:
1. Pegboard and pegs 36
2. Slips of writing paper
3. Yarn or long narrow strip of paper

Presentation:
1. Explain to the child that in this exercise, you want to find
the factors of a number that has no other factors. Before
this exercise it is necessary to complete Table C with the
child - in which he found all the prime numbers.
2. Lets find the prime factors of 36
3. Write the number 36 on a slip and place it on the frame of
the pegboard.
4. Place 36 in pegs (3 blue tens and six green units) and lay
a long strip of paper or yarn to the right of the beads
5. Explain to the child that in order to find the factors that are
prime numbers, we begin dividing by the smallest prime
number - which is 2.
6. 36 can be evenly divided by 2 and the result is 18.
Place a label marked 2 to the right of the long strip or yarn
beside 36 in pegs
7. Make18 in pegs (1 blue ten and 8 green units) under the 36 pegs.
8. Now, ask the child if 18 can be evenly divided by 2. Yes and the result is 9.
9. Place a 2 label to the right of18 and place 9 green unit pegs under the 18 pegs.
10. Can 9 be evenly divided by 2? No. Try the next larger prime number
11. Ask the child What the next prime number is. 3 is the next prime number.
12. Ask the child if 9 can be evenly divided by 3. Yes and the result is 3.
13. Place a 3 label to the right of 9 and 3 green unit pegs under the 9 pegs.
14. Can 3 be evenly divided by 3? Yes, and the result is 1.
15. Place a 3 label to the right of 3 and 1 green unit peg under the 4 pegs.
16. When one bead is placed, the division is complete
17. Now there are 4 labels. Two have 2 written on them and the other two have 3 written
on them. All these are prime numbers.
18. When we multiply them the result is 36. Place the multiplication signs and re-arrange
the labels below the pegboard: 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 = 36.
19. The prime factors in 36 are 2 x 2 x 3 x 3.
20. Explain to the child that the prime numbers contained in any number are called the
prime factors.
21. If the child is familiar with power notation, note that the prime factors of 36 can be
written as 22 x 32.

Note: Allow the child to explore many numbers, one at a time at first, and then two or three
numbers. This work is an important step that the child must understand very well before he
works with LCM or HCF.

"9 - 12 Mathematics" by Rosann Larrow - 2015 Factors - 3

 Highest Common Factor (HCF)
Greatest Common Factor (GCF) 30 36
Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)

Materials:
1. Pegboard and pegs
2. Slips of paper to write on
3. Slips with the prime numbers (several for each)
4. Slips with the prime numbers raised to the powers

Presentation:
1. Choose two numbers, for example, 36 and 30.
2. Tell the child that you want to find the highest
common factor for these numbers. He already
knows how to find the common factors, using the
pegs in a sensorial way. This process is more
advanced.
3. In this exercise, begin with finding the prime
factors of each number, as in the exercise with
prime factors.
4. First, find the prime factors of 30, putting out the
pegs and slips. The prime factors of 30 are 2 x
3 x 5.
5. Next, find the factors of 36, putting out the pegs
and slips. The prime factors of 36 are 2 x 2 x 3
x 3, which is 22 x 32.
6. Lay the sets of prime factors for each number beneath the peg board
7. If the same factor is in each number, pick up the paper from both numbers and place
the two papers on top of each other below the row of prime factors
8. Both 36 and 30 have common factors of 2 and 3.
9. To find the HCF of 36 and 30, we multiply 2 x 3, which equals 6.
10. Statement: The highest common factor of 36 and 30 is 6.
11. Write the terms: Highest Common Factor
12. Give the definition and the abbreviation: HCF The highest common factor of two or
more numbers is the highest factor which can be found in both or all of them.

Venn Diagram - Highest Common Factors of 24 and 42.

"9 - 12 Mathematics" by Rosann Larrow - 2015 Factors - 4

 Passage to Abstraction
Prime Factors - Table C
1
Materials:
Table C, 2
Pegboard and pegs 3
4
Presentation:
1. Take Table C again and tell the child that this time 5
when you work with it you want to reduce the 6
multiplication to prime factors of the numbers. That is, 7
you will consider the numbers, which have not been
underlined in red, and you will reduce the 8
combinations by which these numbers are obtained, to 9
prime numbers. 10
2. Example: 8 = 2 x 4, 4 x 2 (This is the notation the first
time the table was done.) 11
8 = 2 x 2 x 2 This is the new notation. 12
3. 12 = 2 x 6, 6 x 2, 3 x 4, 4 x 3 Former notation 13
12 = 2 x 2 x 3 - Notation showing prime factors.
4. Continue writing the prime factors for all the numbers 14
on Table C. 15

Least Common Multiple - LCM

Presentation:
1. After the table has been completed, take the 12 24 36
numbers 12, 24, 36, and find the prime factors,
using the pegs.
2. When you have found the prime factors for all
the numbers, record the results:
12 = 2 x 2 x 3 or 22 x 3
24 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 or 23 x 3
36 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 or 22 x 32
3. Then, proceed to find the LCM for these three
numbers.
4. To find the LCM, we must first find the HCF. To
find the HCF, take the factors that are common
to all the numbers. In this case, 2 x 2 x 3 = 12
5. Once you have the HCF, take the HCF and
multiply it by all the factors that are left. 12 x 2
(left in the 24) x 3 (left in the 36) = 72.

Note: The traditional rule for finding the LCM is to

take each prime factor at its highest power. 2 and
3 are the prime factors. The highest power of 2 is
23, and the highest power of 3 is 32. Therefore, to
find the LCM, we multiply 23 x 32, and find the
result is 72. The LCM for the numbers 12, 24, and 36 is 72.
"9 - 12 Mathematics" by Rosann Larrow 2015 Factors - 5
 Passage to Abstraction
Highest Common Factors

Presentation:
1. Then, find the highest common factor of the numbers.
2. To find the HCF, we take all the common factors at their lowest power.
3. The lowest power of 2 is 22 and the lowest power of 3 is 3 to the first power.
4. Therefore, we take 22 x 3 or 2 x 2 x 3, and the result is 12.
5. The HCF of the numbers 12, 24, and 36 is 12.

Note: In order to be able to do this work, the child needs to review the notation of the
numbers and their various powers. For example, in writing the notation for prime factors
of 12, first do the notation where every prime factor is written. Then ask the child if he
remembers another way to write 2 x 2. 2 x 2 can also be written 22 - which means two
squared, or two to the second power. Do the same for the notation for prime factors of
24. This time we want to write 2 x 2 x 2 in another way - 23. Then, in the prime factors
of 36, we have 2 x 2, which can also be written 22, and 3 x 3, which can also be written
32 .

After the child has done other examples with the pegboard, do an exploration without the
materials. In this notation, the child repeats in writing what is done on the pegboard.

Point out to the children the fact that when one of the two numbers is the multiple of the
other, the HCF will be the smaller number, and the LCM will be the larger number.
Example: for the numbers 9 and 18, the prime factors are placed in the circles:
LCM 32 x 2 = 18
HCF 32 = 9

"9 - 12 Mathematics" by Rosann Larrow 2015 Factors - 6

Highest Common Factors with Sets

1.Place all the prime factors of both numbers.

2.Show the common factors in the circles that overlap.
3.The HCF of the numbers 12 and 24 is the product of the common factors,
2 x 2 x 3 = 12,
4. HCF = 12.

5. Change the prime factors to the powers.

6. The HCF is the product of the common prime factors taken at their lowest power
Problems: LCM and HCF
1. A rectangular piece of paper measures 18 x 24 cm. This piece of paper can be
divided into squares in such a way as to obtain the largest squares possible (HCF).
To find out the size of the square, we find the highest common factor:
18 24 HCF = the product of the common factors
taken with the lowest power. 2 x 3 = 6: HCF

The squares will be 6 x 6. How many squares

will there be? 12
2. We have rectangles made of paper 6 x 10 cm. We want to arrange these papers in
such a way as to form a square. (LCM) What will be the size of the square? How
many pieces of paper will we need? Find the lowest common multiple

6 10 LCM = the product of all the factors taken

with their highest power.
2 x 5 x 3 = 30 cm

The side of the square is 30 cm.

30 10 = 3 One side: 3 rectangles 10 cm length
30 6 = 5 One side: 5 rectangles 6 cm length
3 x 5 = 15 Total number of rectangles needed: 15

"9 - 12 Mathematics" by Rosann Larrow 2015 Factors - 7