Lecture-Teaching Math

Prime and Composite Numbers
Problem 1: The area of a rectangular garden is 7 square

yards. List all possible whole-number dimensions the garden can have.
Solution: 1 yd x 7 yd
The whole-number dimensions, 1 and 7, of the rectangular garden above, are
the factors of the number 7.
Problem 2: The area of a rectangular garden is 8 square yards. List all possible whole-
number dimensions the garden can have.

Solution: 1 yd x 8 yd, 2 yd x 4 yd
The whole-number dimensions, 1, 2, 4 and 8, of the rectangular gardens in Problem 2,
are the factors of the number 8. In Problem 1, the number 7 has only two factors. The
number 7 is prime. In problem 2 above, the number 8 has four factors. The number 8
is composite.
Definitions
1. A prime number has only two factors: 1 and itself.
2. A composite number has more than two factors.
3. The number 1 is neither prime nor composite.
When the area of a rectangle is a prime number, there is only one set of possible
dimensions for that rectangle. When the area of a rectangle is a composite number,
there are two or more sets of possible dimensions for that rectangle. Each set of
dimensions is a pair of factors.
To determine if a number is prime or composite, follow these steps:
1. Find all factors of the number.
2. If the number has only two factors, 1 and itself, then it is prime.
3. If the number has more than two factors, then it is composite.
Example 1: Is the number 2 prime or composite?

Solution: The factors of 2 are 1 x 2. 2 is prime.
Example 2: Is the number 9 prime or composite?

Solution: The factors of 9 are 1 x 9, 3 x 3. 9 is composite.
We have determined if a single number is prime or composite. Let's look at a range of

numbers to see if they are prime or composite. Please note that each range of numbers
given in Examples 3, 4 and 5 below are inclusive.
Example 3: Find all prime numbers between 2 and 9.
factors of 2: 1x2 2 is prime
factors of 4: 1 x 4, 2 x 2 4 is composite
Solution: The prime numbers between 2 and 9 are 2, 3, 5 and 7.

factors of 11: 1 x 11 11 is prime
factors of 12: 1 x 12, 2 x 6, 3 x 4 12 is composite
factors of 16 1 x 16, 4 x 4 16 is composite
Solution: The prime numbers between 10 and 19 are 11, 13, 17 and 19.

factors of 24: 1 x 24, 2 x 12, 3 x 8, 4 x 6 24 is composite
Solution: The prime numbers between 20 and 29 are 23 and 29.
Example 6: Is the number 31 prime or composite? Explain your answer using
full sentences.
Solution 1: The number 31 is prime because its only factors are one and itself.
Solution 2: Thirty-one is a prime number. This is because the number 31 has only two
factors: 1 and 31.
Solution 3: I divided the number 31 by all numbers between 1 and 31 and found no
factors other than one and thirty-one. Therefore, 31 is prime.
There are many possible ways to explain the solution to this problem. These are just
three possible explanations.
Summary: A prime number has only two factors: 1 and itself. A composite number has
more than two factors. The number 1 is neither prime nor composite.
The prime numbers between 2 and 31 are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29 and 31 since
each of these numbers has only two factors, itself and 1.
Factors and Greatest Common Factors

Problem: The area of a rectangular garden is 24 square yards. List all possible whole-number
dimensions the garden can have.

Solution: 1 yd x 24 yd, 2 yd x 12 yd, 3 yd x 8 yd, and 4 yd x 6 yd
The whole-number dimensions of this rectangular garden are the factors of the number 24. The
following statements can be made about the factors of 24:
 The factors of 24 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 since each of these numbers divides exactly
into 24.
 The pairs of factors of 24 are: 1 and 24, 2 and 12, 3 and 8, and 4 and 6.
To find the factors of a whole number follow this procedure:

1. Starting with 1, divide each counting number into the whole number.
2. If the numbers divide exactly (no remainder), then you have found a pair of factors.
3. List the counting number and the quotient of your division as a pair of factors.
4. Keep dividing until a factor repeats.
5. List all factors separated by commas.
Example 1: Find the factors of 12.

Counting # Division Factor Pair
1 12 ÷ 1 = 12 1 x 12
2 12 ÷ 2 = 6 2x6
3 12 ÷ 3 = 4 3x4
4 12 ÷ 4 = 3 4 x 3
Solution: The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.
(Note: means that one or more factors has repeated so we stop dividing.)

1 20 ÷ 1 = 20 1 x 20
2 20 ÷ 2 = 10 2 x 10
3 20 ÷ 3 = 6 R2 --------
4 20 ÷ 4 = 5 4x5
5 20 ÷ 5 = 4 5 x 4
Solution: The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20.

1 49 ÷ 1 = 49 1 x 49
2 49 ÷ 2 = 24 R1 --------
3 49 ÷ 3 = 16 R1 --------
4 49 ÷ 4 = 12 R1 --------
5 49 ÷ 5 = 9 R4 --------
6 49 ÷ 6 = 8 R1 --------
7 49 ÷ 7 = 7 7 x 7
Solution: The factors of 49 are 1, 7 and 49
Problem: Find the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of 12 and 20. (Note: Place your mouse over the
lists of factors below.)
The common factors of 12 and 20 are 1, 2 and 4.

The greatest common factor of 12 and 20 is 4.
Solution: GCF = 4
To find the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of two or more whole numbers, follow this procedure:
1. Make a list of factors for each whole number.
2. Identify all factors that are common to all lists.
3. The Greatest Common Factor (GCF) is the largest of these common factors.
In Examples 4 through 6, place your mouse over the lists of factors to see the common
factors.
Example 4: Find the GCF of 24 and 36.
The common factors of 24 and 36 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.
Solution: GCF = 12
Example 5: Find the GCF of 56 and 63.
The common factors of 56 and 63 are 1 and 7.

Solution: GCF = 7
Example 6: Find the GCF of 12, 30 and 54.
The common factors of 12, 30 and 54 are 1, 2, 3 and 6.

The greatest common factor of 12, 30 and 54 is 6.
Solution: GCF = 6
Summary: The factors of a whole number are those numbers that divide exactly into that whole
number. The Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of a set of whole numbers is the largest factor common
to all whole numbers in the set.
Multiples and Least Common Multiples
Problem: An ice cream truck visits Jeannette's neighborhood every

4 days during the summer. Unfortunately, she missed it today. When can Jeannette
expect the ice cream truck to visit her neighborhood again?
Solution: The ice cream truck will visit on days 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, ...
In the problem above, we found multiples of the whole number 4. The multiples of a
whole number are found by taking the product of any counting number and that whole
number. For example, to find the multiples of 3, multiply 3 by 1, 3 by 2, 3 by 3, and so
on. To find the multiples of 5, multiply 5 by 1, 5 by 2, 5 by 3, and so on. The multiples
are the products of these multiplications. Some examples of multiples can be found
below. In each example, the counting numbers 1 through 8 are used. However, the list
of multiples for a whole number is endless. The ... at the end of each list below lets us
know that the list really goes on forever.
Example 1: Find the multiples of the whole number 4.
Multiplication: 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5 4x6 4x7 4
Multiples of 4: 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 3
Solution: The multiples of 4 are 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32,...
Multiples of 5: 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4
Multiples of 7: 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 5
Problem: During the summer months, one ice cream truck visits

Jeannette's neighborhood every 4 days and another ice cream truck visits her
neighborhood every 5 days. If both trucks visited today, when is the next time both
trucks will visit on the same day?
Truck Days of Visits
1 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44,...
2 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55,...
Solution: Both ice cream trucks will visit Jeannette's neighborhood in 20 days and in 40
days. However, the problem asks: when is the next time both trucks will visit on the
same day?, so the final answer is IN 20 DAYS.
In the problem above, we have found multiples of the numbers 4 and 5. We have also
found the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 4 and 5, which is 20. The Least Common
Multipleof a set of whole numbers is the smallest multiple common to all whole
numbers in the set.
To find the Least Common Multiple of two or more whole numbers, follow this
procedure:
1. Make a list of multiples for each whole number.
2. Continue your list until at least two multiples are common to all lists.
3. Identify the common multiples.
4. The Least Common Multiple (LCM) is the smallest of these common multiples.
In Examples 4 and 5, place your mouse over the lists of multiples to see the
common multiples.
Example 4: Find the LCM of 12 and 15.
Common multiples of 12 and 15 are 60 and 120

The least common multiple of 12 and 15 is 60.
Solution: LCM = 60
Example 5: Find the LCM of 18 and 24.
Common multiples of 18 and 24 are 72 and 144

The least common multiple of 18 and 24 is 72.
Solution: LCM = 72
Summary: The multiples of a whole number are found by taking the product of any
counting number and that whole number. The Least Common Multiple (LCM) of a set of
whole numbers is the smallest multiple common to all whole numbers in the set.
Divisibility
Problem: Is the number 621 prime or composite?

Method: In the last lesson, we learned to find all factors of a whole number to determine
if it is prime or composite. We used the procedure listed below.
To determine if a number is prime or composite, follow these steps:
1. Find all factors of the number.
2. If the number has only two factors, 1 and itself, then it is prime.
3. If the number has more than two factors, then it is composite.
The above procedure works very well for small numbers. However, it would be time-
consuming to find all factors of 621. Thus we need a better method for determining if a
large number is prime or composite. Every number has one and itself as a factor. Thus,
if we could find one factor of 621, other than 1 and itself, we could prove that 621 is
composite. One way to find factors of large numbers quickly is to use tests for
divisibility.
Definition Example
One whole number is divisible by another if, 18 is divisible by 9 since 18 ÷ 9 = 2
after dividing, the remainder is zero. with a remainder of 0.
If one whole number is divisible by another
Since 18 is divisible by 9, 9 is a
number, then the second number is a factor of
factor of 18.
the first number.
A divisibility test is a rule for determining Divisibility Test for 3: if the sum of
whether one whole number is divisible by the digits of a number is divisible
another. It is a quick way to find factors of large by 3, then the number is divisible
numbers. by 3.
We can test for divisibility by 3 (see table above) to quickly find a factor of 621 other
than 1 and itself. The sum of the digits of 621 is 6+2+1 = 9. This divisibility test and the
definitions above tell us that...
 621 is divisible by 3 since the sum of its digits (9) is divisible by 3.
 Since 621 is divisible by 3, 3 is a factor of 621.
 Since the factors of 621 include 1, 3 and 621, we have proven that 621 has more
than two factors.
 Since 621 has more than 2 factors, we have proven that it is composite.
Let's look at some other tests for divisibility and examples of each.
Divisibility Tests Example
A number is divisible by 2 if the last digit
168 is divisible by 2 since the last digit is 8.
is 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
168 is divisible by 3 since the sum of the
A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of
digits is 15 (1+6+8=15), and 15 is divisible
the digits is divisible by 3.
by 3.
A number is divisible by 4 if the number
316 is divisible by 4 since 16 is divisible by
formed by the last two digits is divisible
4.
by 4.
A number is divisible by 5 if the last digit
is either 0 or 5.
A number is divisible by 6 if it is divisible 168 is divisible by 6 since it is divisible by
by 2 AND it is divisible by 3. 2 AND it is divisible by 3.
A number is divisible by 8 if the number
7,120 is divisible by 8 since 120 is divisible
formed by the last three digits is divisible
by 8.
by 8.
549 is divisible by 9 since the sum of the
A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of
digits is 18 (5+4+9=18), and 18 is divisible
the digits is divisible by 9.
by 9.
A number is divisible by 10 if the last 1,470 is divisible by 10 since the last digit
digit is 0. is 0.
Let's look at some examples in which we test the divisibility of a single whole number.
Example 1: Determine whether 150 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.
150 is divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits is 6 (1+5+0 = 6), and 6 is divisible by 3.
150 is not divisible by 4 since 50 is not divisible by 4.
150 is divisible by 6 since it is divisible by 2 AND by 3.
150 is not divisible by 9 since the sum of the digits is 6, and 6 is not divisible by 9.
Solution: 150 is divisible by 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10.
Example 2: Determine whether 225 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.

225 is not divisible by 2 since the last digit is not 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
225 is divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits is 9, and 9 is divisible by 3.
225 is not divisible by 4 since 25 is not divisible by 4.
225 is not divisible by 6 since it is not divisible by both 2 and 3.
225 is divisible by 9 since the sum of the digits is 9, and 9 is divisible by 9.
225 is not divisible by 10 since the last digit is not 0.
Solution: 225 is divisible by 3, 5 and 9.
Example 3: Determine whether 7,168 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

7,168 is divisible by 2 since the last digit is 8.
7,168 is not divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits is 22, and 22 is not divisible by 3.
7,168 is divisible by 4 since 168 is divisible by 4.
7,168 is not divisible by 5 since the last digit is not 0 or 5.
7,168 is not divisible by 6 since it is not divisible by both 2 and 3.
7,168 is divisible by 8 since the last 3 digits are 168, and 168 is divisible by 8.
Solution: 7,168 is divisible by 2, 4 and 8.

9,042 is divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits is 15, and 15 is divisible by 3.
9,042 is not divisible by 4 since 42 is not divisible by 4.
9,042 is divisible by 6 since it is divisible by both 2 and 3.
9,042 is not divisible by 8 since the last 3 digits are 042, and 42 is not divisible by 8.
Solution: 9,042 is divisible by 2, 3 and 6.

35,120 is divisible by 4 since 20 is divisible by 4.
35,120 is not divisible by 6 since it is not divisible by both 2 and 3.
35,120 is divisible by 8 since the last 3 digits are 120, and 120 is divisible by 8.
Solution: 35,120 is divisible by 2, 4, 5, 8 and 10.
Example 6: Is the number 91 prime or composite? Use divisibility when possible to find
your answer.
91 is not divisible by 2 since the last digit is not 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
91 is not divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits (9+1=10) is not divisible by 3.
91 is not evenly divisible by 4 (remainder is 3).
91 is not divisible by 5 since the last digit is not 0 or 5.
91 is not divisible by 6 since it is not divisible by both 2 and 3.
91 divided by 7 is 13.
Solution: The number 91 is divisible by 1, 7, 13 and 91. Therefore 91 is composite since
it has more than two factors.
Summary: Divisibility tests can be used to find factors of large whole numbers quickly,
and thus determine if they are prime or composite. When working with large whole
numbers, tests for divisibility are more efficient than the traditional factoring method.

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Prime and Composite Numbers

Problem 1: The area of a rectangular garden is 7 square

Example 1: Is the number 2 prime or composite?

Example 2: Is the number 9 prime or composite?

We have determined if a single number is prime or composite. Let's look at a range of

Example 4: Find all prime numbers between 10 and 19.

Example 5: Find all prime numbers between 20 and 29.

Factors and Greatest Common Factors

To find the factors of a whole number follow this procedure:

Example 1: Find the factors of 12.

Example 2: Find the factors of 20.

Example 3: Find the factors of 49.

The common factors of 12 and 20 are 1, 2 and 4.

Example 5: Find the GCF of 56 and 63.

The common factors of 56 and 63 are 1 and 7.

Example 6: Find the GCF of 12, 30 and 54.

The common factors of 12, 30 and 54 are 1, 2, 3 and 6.

Multiples and Least Common Multiples

Problem: An ice cream truck visits Jeannette's neighborhood every

Problem: During the summer months, one ice cream truck visits

Common multiples of 12 and 15 are 60 and 120

Common multiples of 18 and 24 are 72 and 144

Problem: Is the number 621 prime or composite?

Example 2: Determine whether 225 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.

Example 3: Determine whether 7,168 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

Example 4: Determine whether 9,042 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

Example 5: Determine whether 35,120 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

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