Factoring
Hi and welcome to Math Antics.
In today’s lesson, we’re gonna learn all about factoring.
Factoring is a math operation. It’s something you DO to a number.
Now with the other math operations you’ve done so far, you’re given two or more numbers to work with.
But with factoring, you only get one number.
That’s because factoring is like being given the answer to a multiplication problem and then having to figure out what that problem was.
So you can think of factoring as ‘UN-multiplying’.
When you multiply, you take two numbers and multiply them together to get one number.
And when you factor, you take one number, and figure out what two numbers you could multiply together to get that number.
For example, let’s say you’re asked to factor the number 10.
Now that means that you need to figure out what numbers you could multiply together to get 10.
If you know your multiplication table, you’ll remember that 2 times 5 equals 10.
That means that 2 and 5 are FACTORS of 10.
So factors are just the parts of a multiplication problem, and factoring is figuring out what those parts are.
I’m sure some of you are wondering, “Why would I ever want to factor a number?”
Now that’s a good question, and I have a good answer.
Factoring can make solving some math problems easier.
For example, factoring is really useful for simplifying fractions.