Prime factorisation
Sections:
1) Revision notes
2) Practice questions
Revision notes
Express a number in terms of its prime factors
What are prime numbers?
Prime numbers are positive integers with only two factors, 1 and itself.
The first ten prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29.
Prime factorisation
Express $2025$ as a product of its prime factors, leaving your answer in index notation.
Answer: $ 3^4 \times 5^2 $
How to find HCF and LCM from prime factors
How to find HCF from prime factors
Steps:
- Select the common factors
- Use only the smallest power
Example
Find the highest common factor (HCF) of $1170$ and $1485$.
Answer: $ 45 $
How to find LCM from prime factors
Steps:
- Select all factors
- Use the largest power
Example
Find the lowest common multiple (LCM) of $36$, $45$ and $112$.
Answer: $ 5040 $
How to use prime factorisation for perfect squares and perfect cubes
How to check if a number is a perfect square (or square number)
For a perfect square, the powers of each factor must be divisible by $2$.
For example, $2025 = 3^4 \times 5^2$ is a perfect square. Since the powers of the factors are $4$ and $2$ respectively, they are divisible by $2$.
Example
Find the smallest positive integer $p$ such that $1012p$ is a perfect square.
Answer: $ p = 253 $
How to check if a number is a perfect square (or cube number)
For a perfect cube, the powers of each factor must be divisible by $3$.
For example, $1728 = 2^6 \times 3^3 $ is a perfect cube. Since the powers of the factors are $6$ and $3$ respectively, they are divisible by $3$.
Example
Find the smallest positive integer $q$ such that ${3240 \over q}$ is a perfect cube.
Answer: $ q = 15 $
Practice questions
Use prime factors to solve problems in real-world context
1. Meilin has $72$ one-centimetre cubes. She arranges all of them to form a solid cuboid with a square base.
The total surface area of the cuboid is $120$ cm2. The length of each side of the cuboid is an integer greater than $1$ cm.
Find the height of the cuboid.
Answer: $ 2 \text{ cm} $
Find HCF and LCM from prime factors
2(a) Find the greatest divisor of the integers $70$ and $85$.
Answer: $ 5 $
2(b) What is the smallest positive integer that leaves no remainder when divided by $65$, $100$, or $190$?
Answer: $ 24 \phantom{.} 700 $
3. A rectangular kitchen floor measures $120$ cm by $150$ cm. You want to cover the entire floor with identical square tiles of the same size.
(a) What is the side length of the largest possible square tile you can use so that no tiles need to be cut?
Answer: $ 30 \text{ cm} $
(b) How many of those largest tiles found in part (a) that you will need to buy to cover the entire floor?
Answer: $ 20 $
Problems in real-world context
4. Three different bus routes—the Red Line, the Blue Line, and the Green Line—all have their first departure from the Main Terminal at 8:00 am.
- The Red Line bus leaves every $15$ minutes.
- The Blue Line bus leaves every $20$ minutes.
- The Green Line bus leaves every $45$ minutes.
What is the earliest time after 8:00 am that all three buses will once again depart from the terminal at the exact same time?
Answer: 11.00 am
Find the unknown number given HCF and/or LCM (G3 only)
5. The highest common factor of $28$ and $x$, where $x$ is an integer, is $14$. Given that $x > 14$, find the two smallest possible values of $x$.
Answer: $ x = 42 \text{ or } 70 $
6. $x$ is an integer. The highest common factor of $x$ and $12$ is $6$. The lowest common multiple of $x$ and $12$ is $36$. Find the value of $x$.
Answer: $ x = 18 $
7. $x$ and $y$ are integers such that $x \ne y$. The highest common factor of $x$ and $y$ is $12$ while the lowest common multiple of $x$ and $y$ is $72$. Given that both $x$ and $y$ are between $20$ and $50$, find the possible value of $x$ and $y$.
Answer: $ x = 24, y = 36 \text{ (or vice versa)}$
Perfect square and perfect cube questions
8(a) Using prime factorisation, explain why the integer $5184$ is a perfect square but not a perfect cube.
8(b) Find the smallest integer $k$ such that $5184k$ is both a perfect square and a perfect cube.
Answer: $ k = 9 $
8(c) Find the smallest integer $p$ such that ${5184 \over p}$ is both a perfect square and a perfect cube.
Answer: $ p = 81 $
9. Given that $a$ and $b$ are integers and $a > b$, find the smallest possible values of $a$ and $b$ such that ${2200a \over b}$ is a perfect square.
Answer: $ a = 11, b = 2 $
O Level past year questions on prime factorisation
| Year & paper | Comments |
|---|---|
| 2025 P1 Question 10 | Perfect cube |
| 2025 P1 Question 19 | Find the unknown number given HCF and LCM |
| 2023 P1 Question 4 | (a) Explain why the number is a perfect square (b)(i) Perfect cube (b)(ii) Find LCM from prime factors |
| 2022 P1 Question 8 | Find HCF from prime factors (real-world context) |
| 2020 P1 Question 20 | Find unknown numbers from LCM (very different from prior years) |
| 2019 P1 Question 4 | Perfect cube |
| 2018 P1 Question 20 | (b) Perfect square (c) Find the unknown number given HCF |
| 2017 P1 Question 18 | (a) Explain why the number is a perfect square (b) Perfect cube |
| 2016 P1 Question 5 | Use prime factors to solve problems in real-world context |
| 2016 P1 Question 18 | (b) Explain why the number is a perfect square (c) Perfect cube |
| 2015 P1 Question 14 | Find the two unknown numbers given HCF and LCM |
| 2014 P1 Question 23 | Use prime factors to solve problems in real-world context |
| 2013 P1 Question 7 | Find LCM from prime factors (indirect phrasing) |
| 2012 P1 Question 9 | Perfect square |
| 2011 P1 Question 7 | (a) Perfect cube (b) Find LCM from prime factors (c) Find HCF from prime factors (indirect phrasing) |
| 2010 P1 Question 10 | (b)(i) Find LCM from prime factors (b)(ii) Find HCF from prime factors (indirect phrasing) |
| 2009 P1 Question 18 | (b) Find HCF from prime factors (c) Problem in real-world context |
| 2008 P1 Question 17 | (a)(ii) Perfect cube (a)(iii) Find HCF from prime factors (b) Problem in real-world context |
| 2006 P1 Question 8 | (b) Find LCM from prime factors (c) Perfect cube |
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