Gr.

10 IAPC
Number Sense Unit 6 Notes

1.1 – Prime Factors

The natural number 6 is divisible by 1, 2, 3 and 6. The numbers 1, 2, 3 and 6 are
therefore the factors of 6. The number 6 has four factors.

Identify the factors of:

a) 15 b) 24

Determine the number of factors for each natural number:

a) 3 c) 1 e) 18

b) 10 d) 7 f) 22

Prime numbers: These are defined by numbers that have only 2 factors. The two
factors are 1 and itself. Ex:

Composite numbers: These are defined by numbers that have more than 2 factors. Ex:
* The number 1 only has one factor. It is therefore neither a prime nor composite
number.

* 0 doesn’t have any factors!

Identify the first 10 prime numbers:

Identify next to each number whether it is a prime number or composite number:

a) 46 c) 39 e) 103

b) 37 d) 101 f) 49

Prime factors: These are the prime numbers which are factors of a natural number.
Ex: The factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3 and 6. The prime factors of 6 are 2 and 3

- Identify the factors of 12 :

- Identify the prime factors of 12 :
- Express 12 as the product of its prime factors.
 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Prime factorisation: Each natural number can be written as the product of its prime
factors. There are two ways in which we can identify the prime factorisation.

1. Repeated Division 2. Factor Tree

Ex: Using repeated division, identify the prime factorization of 2772.

Ex: Using a factor tree, identify the prime factorization of 2772.

Ex: Use the method of your choice to determine the prime factorization of 33 250.

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Greatest common factor (GCF): The GCF is defined as the greatest natural number that
divides two numbers being examined.

For example: The GCF of 12 and 20 is 4.

Method 1: Writing out and comparing factors Method 2: Using prime factorization

Ex: Find the GCF of the following sets of numbers using both methods:

a) 18 and 24

b) 15, 25 and 35

c) 16 and 9

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Use prime factorization to determine the GCF of 171, 285 and 1140

Lowest common multiple (LCM): The LCM is defined as the smallest number that is a
multiple of each number being observed.

Ex: 6 and 8

6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48 …

8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48 …

Find the LCM of:

a) 5 and 7

b) 10, 15 and 20

c) 10, 12, and 14

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Sometimes, it takes WAY too long to write out all the multiples of each question. So
speed up the process, we can use prime factorization to find the LCM.

Ex: LCM of 24 and 90

Step 1: Write each number as a product of its prime factors:

24 =
90 =

Step 2: Write these products in exponential form.

24 =
90 =

Step 3: To find the LCM, identify all the different bases that were used, and
attach the highest power used for that base. Next find the product of those powers.

Assignment 1.1

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Lesson 1.2 –
Rational and Irrational Numbers
By this point you may have already seen or learned about different types of numbers:

Natural: The set of numbers 1, 2, 3, ... (All positive integers).

Whole: Includes natural numbers AND 0. 0, 1, 2, 3...

Integers: Includes all whole numbers, and their opposites. ...-2, -1, 0, 1, 2...

Rational: A rational number can be written as a fraction. If it is written in decimal form,

there are 2 ways to identify if it is rational number:

1. The decimal terminates.

2. There is a repeating pattern.

Irrational: Cannot be written as a fraction. These are decimal numbers that continue
forever without a repeating pattern.

Real: Any rational or irrational number. (Anything that doesn’t give you an error on a
calculator!)

Analogy:

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Identify what types of numbers the following belong to.

- 5/9 ____________________________________________________________
- 16____________________________________________________________
- 8.7____________________________________________________________
- 15 ____________________________________________________________
- 0 ____________________________________________________________

Identify if the following are rational or irrational numbers:

- 1/8 - 0.16

- 2/11 - 1.493

- 9/7 - 2.347347347…

- 0.949494… - -8.1122111222111

- 8 - 4.41

Place the real numbers on the number line.

a) 14 c) 80 e) 0.1

b) 𝜋 d) 2 15

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

How to change from decimal form to a fraction:

1. If the decimal terminates: Write the number without the decimal in the numerator.
And a power of 10 in the denominator which has the same amount of zeros as
there are decimal places.
EX:

2. If there is a repeating pattern: Write the repeating pattern (only once) in the
numerator. In the denominator, write the same amount of “9’s” as there are digits
in the repetition.
EX:

*PROBLEM – This rule for repeating decimal only works if there is a 0 in front of the
decimal, and if the repetition starts immediately after the decimal.

Assignment 1.2

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Lesson 1.3 – Square and Cube Roots

Perfect squares: are squares in which the length of their sides can be expressed as a
natural number. (No decimals). When we do the square (exponent 2, 2 ) of a natural
number, we receive a perfect square. If we know the area of a square, we can take the
square root ( ) to find the length of its side.

What are the first 15 perfect squares?

Length of a Area Diagram of 22

side
1 *1 = 12 1
2 *2 =
Diagram of 32
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Perfect cubes : are cubes that have a length with is a natural number, and therefore
which has a volume which can be expressed as the length of one side multiplied by
itself 3 times, or to the exponent of 3. If we know the volume of a cube, we can take
the cube root ( 𝑥) to find the length of its sides.
3

What are the first 5 perfect cubes?

Length of a side Volume

1 *1 *1 = 13 1
2 *2 *2 =
3
4
5

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Roots and radicals

𝑥
A radical is simply stating a value or question that is using the symbol

𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑥 gives us the number that when multiplied by itself, would equal x.
2

Each 𝑥 actually has 2 answers, one which is positive and one which is negative.

Ex: 49  7

−16 is not possible … in this course

− 16 = -4 since the – is not affected by the radical.

𝑥 would give us a value that when multiplied by itself 3 times, would equal x.
3

3
Ex: 27 = 3
3
−27 = −3

We saw in grade 9 math that: 250000

25 𝑥 10000

20
Therefore: 3 𝑥 6 = 18 = 2
10

This only works for X and ÷

3 + 6 = 9 NOT TRUE!!!

Changing from an entire radical to a mixed radical

3
Ex: 50 = Ex: 180 Ex: 960

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Changing from an mixed radical to an entire radical

3
Ex: 5 7 Ex: 3 4

Assignment 1.3

Assignment: Exponent laws practice.

(You will need to brush up on your exponent laws for the next lesson!)

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

Lesson 1.4 – Rational Exponents

Radicals can also be written in exponential form.

Ex: 16 = 161/2 A square root represents a rational exponent!

To change between a radical and exponential form, we will use the following rule:
𝑚
𝑛
𝑥𝑛 = 𝑥𝑚
3
Ex: 27 =

Write the following in exponential form:

3
a) 8 c) 𝑥𝑦 3

5
b) 210 4 𝑚3
d)
𝑛3

Write the following as a radical:

1
a) 43
2
27 3
b)
8
3
c) 𝑥 5
3
d) 9 2
1
2 2
e) 𝑥3𝑦3

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 Gr. 10 IAPC
Unit 1 Notes

We sometimes need to use our exponent laws to simplify radicals.

4 3
a) 3𝑥 3 d) 6 6

b) 8𝑥 2 e)
3
−64𝑥

4 2
c) 64 𝑥 8

Write the following in exponential form.

1
a) 𝑥2

5 7
b) 𝑥2

6
c) 𝑎10

Assignment 1.4
5
3 3
d) 𝑥6𝑦5 Unit 1 Review

Unit 1 Test

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