Lesson 1.

2 Factors of whole numbers

Specification references

Statement Foundation
1.1 Use the term factor.
Identify common factors.

Collins references

Student Book pages 9 10

Learning objectives

Identify the factors of a number.

Identify common factors.

Key words

factor, common factor, factor pair

Prior knowledge
Students will need to know the multiplication tables to 10 10.

Common mistakes and remediation

Students often miss out one and the number itself. Remind them always to begin with one. Many
students will mix up the terms multiple and factor. Relate the word multiple to multiplications.

Useful tips
Remind students that factors always include 1 and the number itself.

Starter

Ask students to draw rectangles, each with an area of 12 cm2. Look at the
different possibilities and list the lengths of the sides. Repeat with other
areas.

Show students how to draw factor bugs and let them complete their own bugs
for different numbers. Check that students have always included the
number itself and 1 as factors.

Now ask students to find the number between 20 and 30 that has eight factors. (24 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8,
12 and 24)

For more able students, ask further questions, e.g. How many factors has 36?

(9 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36)

Edexcel IGCSE Maths Teachers Pack HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2011 8

 Lesson 1.2 Factors of whole numbers

Main lesson activity

Make sure that students realise that factors always come in pairs, so when they have found one
factor they can find the other. The exception to this is when they are finding factors of square
numbers, where one pair is the same number repeated.

Draw out the fact that every number has 1 and itself as a factor pair.

Introduce the terms factor pair and common factor.

Explain to students that, in order not to miss any factors, it is sensible to start with 1 and work
upwards, obtaining the factor pairs. Using this method, when they have tried all the numbers up to
half the number itself, students will have found all the factors.

Work through Example 1.

Ask students to make a table as shown.

1 factor 2 factors 3 factors 4 factors 5 factors 6 factors

Under each column, enter numbers from 1 to 20, e.g. 10 has four factors so is entered in that
column.
1 factor 2 factors 3 factors 4 factors 5 factors 6 factors
1 2, 3, 5, 7, 4, 9 6, 8, 10, 16 12, 18, 20
11, 13, 17, 14, 15
19

Students can now do Exercise 1B.

When using a calculator to find factors, encourage less able students particularly to work
systematically.

Plenary

Give students a number, e.g. 48. Ask them to write it as a multiplication, e.g. 6 8. Carry on breaking
down the separate values as multiplications (do not allow 1), e.g. 2 3 8, then
2 3 2 4, then 2 3 2 2 2.

Ask students how they can use 2 3 2 2 2 to obtain factors, e.g. 2 2 2 2 = 16 so the
factor pair is 3 and 16.

Repeat with 20 (2 2 5), 60 (2 3 2 5), 100 (2 2 5 5), etc.

Finally, write the product 1 2 3 5 7 = 210 on the board and ask students to give all the factors.
(1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 21, 30, 35, 42, 70, 105, 210).

Homework and answers

Edexcel IGCSE Maths Teachers Pack HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2011 9

 Lesson 1.2 Factors of whole numbers

Homework for this lesson is available in the homework folder. Consolidation and extension exercises are
available in the further practice folder. Answers to the exercises can be found in the answers folder.

Edexcel IGCSE Maths Teachers Pack HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2011 10