What Does Factor Mean in Algebra?
What Does Factor Mean?
In math, factor is one of two or more numbers that divides another number without leaving a remainder. For example, 6 x 9 = 54, so 6 is a factor and so is 9.
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The word factor comes from the Latin root for ‘factory’. Just as a factory makes different products, factor is a number that makes other numbers into products.
What does factor mean in algebra?
Factor is one of the mathematical terms that you need to know in order to be successful with math. These terms help you solve problems that involve dividing, finding patterns in numbers, and working with ratios. They are also important for arranging items in a box, handling money, and calculating quadratic equations.
1. Factor pairs, or factoring combinations
In algebra, a factor pair is two numbers that act as factors of a multiple when they are multiplied together. For example, 10 and 2 are a factor pair of 20 because when they are multiplied together they will give the number 20 as the product.
2. Prime factors, or factorizations
When a number is prime, it has only two factors – itself and 1. So for the number 12, the factors are 2, 3, and 4. If you were to divide 12 by these three numbers, you would find that each of them is a factor of 12.
3. Finding the factors of a number
In order to find the factors of a number, you will need to make suitable arrangements with objects. You can do this by placing them in a grid, by sorting them into different categories, or by arranging them as pairs.
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A factor tree is a diagram of how a number’s factors are made up.
In a factor tree, you will see that all of the numbers are divided into their factors a number of times. This makes it easy to calculate the factors of a number.
5. Factors are a part of our everyday lives
All of us use factors and multiples on a daily basis. For example, when we buy things in a store or pay for services at work, we often use factors and multiples to figure out how much we will need. When we are comparing prices, we will use scale factors to determine how many times a product is cheaper than the competition.
- The equals sign, , and > symbols are used to show that the values on either side of an equation or calculation are the same. These symbols are also used in computer applications, such as Excel.
7. Term and coefficients
When you are writing an expression, you will usually need to have a term and a number that can be raised to a power. The term is usually a number, but can also be a single variable or several variables and constants.
The number that you raise to the power is called a coefficient. You can also raise a number that is not a variable, called a constant. For example, 8 is not a variable, because it does not get multiplied by anything.