ISEE Upper Level Math : How to factor a number

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Math

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Numbers And Operations

What is the product of all of the factors of 25?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 625\)

\(\displaystyle 25\)

\(\displaystyle 75\)

\(\displaystyle 5\)

\(\displaystyle 125\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 125\)

Explanation:

25 has three factors: 1, 5, and 25. Their product is 

\(\displaystyle 1 \times 5 \times 25 = 125.\)

Example Question #2 : Other Factors / Multiples

Which of these numbers has exactly three factors?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 120\)

\(\displaystyle 121\)

\(\displaystyle 122\)

\(\displaystyle 124\)

\(\displaystyle 123\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 121\)

Explanation:

None of the choices are prime, so each has at least three factors. The question, then, is which one has only three factors?

We can eliminate four choices by showing that each has at least four factors - that is, at least two different factors other than 1 and itself:

\(\displaystyle 120 = 2 \times 60\)

\(\displaystyle 122 = 2 \times 61\)

\(\displaystyle 123 = 3 \times 41\)

\(\displaystyle 124 = 2 \times 62\)

Each, therefore, has at least four factors.

However, the only way to factor 121 other than \(\displaystyle 1 \times 121\) is \(\displaystyle 11 \times 11\). Therefore, 121 has only 1, 11, and 121 as factors, and it is the correct choice.

Example Question #3 : Other Factors / Multiples

What is the sum of all of the factors of 60?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 151\)

\(\displaystyle 168\)

\(\displaystyle 108\)

\(\displaystyle 107\)

\(\displaystyle 167\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 168\)

Explanation:

60 has twelve factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60.

Their sum is \(\displaystyle 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 10 + 12 + 15 + 20 + 30 + 60 = 168\).

Example Question #4 : Other Factors / Multiples

Give the prime factorization of 135.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 5\times 9\)

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 3 \times 15\)

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 5\)

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times5\)

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 3 \times 5 \times 5\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times5\)

Explanation:

\(\displaystyle 135 = 5 \times 27 = 5 \times 3 \times 9= 5 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3\)

3 and 5 are both primes, so this is as far as we can go. Rearranging, the prime factorization is 

\(\displaystyle 135 =3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 5\).

Example Question #4 : How To Factor A Number

Which of the following digits can go into the box to form a three-digit number divisible by 3?

\(\displaystyle 6 \; \square\; 7\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 9\)

\(\displaystyle 6\)

\(\displaystyle 2\)

\(\displaystyle 3\)

\(\displaystyle 7\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 2\)

Explanation:

Place each of these digits into the box in turn. Divide each of the numbers formed and see which quotient yields a zero remainder:

\(\displaystyle 627 \div 3 = 209 \textrm{ R } 0\)

\(\displaystyle 637 \div 3 = 212 \textrm{ R } 1\)

\(\displaystyle 667 \div 3 = 222 \textrm{ R } 1\)

\(\displaystyle 677 \div 3 = 225 \textrm{ R } 2\)

\(\displaystyle 697 \div 3 = 232 \textrm{ R } 1\)

Only 627 is divisible by 3 so the correct choice is 2.

Example Question #5 : Other Factors / Multiples

Which of the following digits can go into the box to form a three-digit number divisible by 4?

\(\displaystyle 6\; \square \; 2\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 2\)

None of the other choices is correct.

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle 8\)

\(\displaystyle 6\)

Correct answer:

None of the other choices is correct.

Explanation:

For a number to be divisible by 4, the last two digits must form an integer divisible by 4. 2 (02), 22, 62, and 82 all yield remainders of 2 when divided by 4, so none of these alternatives make the number a multiple of 4.

Example Question #6 : Other Factors / Multiples

Which of the following is divisible by \(\displaystyle 6\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 74,798\)

\(\displaystyle 63,072\)

\(\displaystyle 54,134\)

\(\displaystyle 72,165\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 63,072\)

Explanation:

Numbers that are divisble by 6 are also divisble by 2 and 3. Only even numbers are divisible by 2, therefore, 72165 is excluded. The sum of the digits of numbers divisible by 3 are also divisible by 3. For example,

\(\displaystyle 6+3+0+7+2=18\)

Because 18 is divisible by 3, 63,072 is divisible by 3.

Example Question #12 : Numbers And Operations

Let \(\displaystyle A\) be the set of all integers \(\displaystyle x\) such that \(\displaystyle x\) is divisible by \(\displaystyle 5\) and \(\displaystyle 0 < x < 400\). How many elements are in \(\displaystyle A\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 80\)

\(\displaystyle 100\)

\(\displaystyle 79\)

\(\displaystyle 81\)

\(\displaystyle 99\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 79\)

Explanation:

The elements are as follows:

\(\displaystyle A = \left \{ 5, 10, 15, 20...395 \right \}\)

This can be rewritten as

\(\displaystyle A = \left \{ 5 \times 1, 5\times 2, ... 5 \times 79 \right \}\).

Therefore, there are \(\displaystyle 79\) elements in \(\displaystyle A\).

Example Question #9 : Other Factors / Multiples

Let \(\displaystyle A\) be the set of all integers \(\displaystyle x\) such that \(\displaystyle x\) is divisible by three and \(\displaystyle 0 < x < 400\). How many elements are in \(\displaystyle A\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 134\)

\(\displaystyle 132\)

\(\displaystyle 133\)

\(\displaystyle 140\)

\(\displaystyle 139\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 133\)

Explanation:

The elements are as follows:

\(\displaystyle A = \left \{ 3, 6, 9, 12, 15...399 \right \}\)

This can be rewritten as

\(\displaystyle A = \left \{ 3 \times 1, 3 \times 2, ... 3 \times 133 \right \}\).

Therefore, there are \(\displaystyle 133\) elements in \(\displaystyle A\).

Example Question #21 : Numbers And Operations

Add the factors of 19.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle 19\)

\(\displaystyle 25\)

\(\displaystyle 38\)

\(\displaystyle 20\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 20\)

Explanation:

19 is a prime number and has 1 and 19 as its only factors. Their sum is 20.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors