Definition
Factor
A factor is one of the quantities joined by multiplication to produce a product.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
Boundary check: Four is a factor because 36 forms four equal groups with no remainder.
What it means
Think of a product as built from multiplied pieces. In 3 × 8 = 24, the pieces 3 and 8 are factors of 24. For whole numbers, division checks the relationship: 24 ÷ 8 = 3 with no remainder.
Remember it
Factors are the multiplied pieces of a product.
Example
Because 36 = 4 × 9, both 4 and 9 are factors of 36. Also, 36 ÷ 4 = 9 with no remainder.
Watch for
5 is not a factor of 36 because 36 ÷ 5 does not give a whole-number quotient.
Common mix-up
Factors multiply to make a product; multiples are products obtained by multiplying a number by whole numbers.
Exact meaning
In a multiplication, each number or algebraic expression being multiplied is a factor. When the product and factors are whole numbers, dividing the product by any factor gives a whole number with no remainder.