How do you identify factors of a number?

Answer 1

Since a factor is a number that can be multiplied by a whole number and give you your "given number" then a good strategy is to first write down 1 and the number itself. Then, if the number is even, write down 2. Once you have done that, it is a case of dividing by numbers up to half of the given number, after this point no number can be a factor.

E.G.

Factors of 64:

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64

Notice how after 32 only 64 can be a factor of 64 since any numbers between cannot be multiplied by a whole number to get 64.

Hope this helped!

Answer 2

Prime factorization: for example

48

^

24*2 2 is prime

^

2*12

^

3*4

^

2*2

Answer 3

It can be an extremely difficult process and that is why factorisation is at the root of cryptography.