Breaking up a number as a product of a few numbers is factorization. The product terms are its factors, and all such constituent product terms that cannot be broken up further, and so are prime numbers, are the prime factors of a composite or compound number.
Breaking up a number into its prime factors is Prime Factorization.
Prime factors of 40 are given by,
$40=2\times{2}\times{2}\times{5}$.
Prime factors are 4 in number.
Non-prime factors are formed by combining 2 to 3 (not 4) of the prime factors. These are,
$2\times{2}=4$,
$2\times{5}=10$, both 4 and 10 are from $(4\times{10}=40)$,
$2\times{2}\times{2}=8$, 5 and 8 are from $(5\times{8}=40)$, and,
$4\times{5}=20$, 2 and 20 are from $(2\times{20}=40)$.
So, total number of factors (non-unique) of 40 is, 8, four prime factors: 2, 2, 2, 5 and non-prime factors: 4, 8, 10, 20. Three numbers of factor 2 make the set of factors non-unique.
The concept and method of prime factorization often assumes a very important role in quick solution of MCQ math problems.
Number system questions for SSC CPO Set 1 with answers and solutions. Questions are on division lemma, prime factors, fraction comparison and more.
1st set of surds and indices questions for SSC CHSL with answers and quick solutions by surds techniques. These are previous year SSC CHSL questions.
