How to Divide Decimals: A Fun Guide for All Grades

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Welcome to Mr. Ace Math, where math becomes fun and easy! Today, we’re going to dive into the exciting world of factors. Whether you’re in middle school or just starting, I’ll help you understand how to find factors of a number in no time. Ready? Let’s get started!

 

What Are Factors?

Factors are numbers you can multiply together to get another number. For example, if you can multiply 2 and 3 to get 6, then 2 and 3 are factors of 6. It's as simple as that! Factors are like the building blocks of numbers.

 

How to Find Factors of a Number

Finding factors is like a little puzzle. You look for pairs of numbers that multiply together to give you the number you started with. These pairs are called factor-pairs. Let’s go through this step by step.

 

Step 1: Start with 1

The number 1 is a factor of every number. So, 1 will always be in your list of factors.

 

Step 2: Find Factor-Pairs

Start with 1 and the number itself. For example, if you want to find factors of 12, you start with:

• 1 × 12

 

Now, move to the next number, which is 2. Check if 2 is a factor of 12:

• 2 × 6 (since 2 times 6 equals 12)

 

Next, try 3:

• 3 × 4 (since 3 times 4 equals 12)

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Continue this until you reach a number that’s halfway up the number you’re factoring. For 12, that’s 6.

 

So, the factors of 12 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.

 

Example 1: Finding Factors of 18

Let's find the factors of 18.

1. Start with 1:

   • 1 × 18

2. Move to 2:

   • 2 × 9

3. Next, 3:

   • 3 × 6

4. Check 4, but 18 isn’t divisible by 4, so we skip it.

 

So, the factors of 18 are: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18.

 

Example 2: Finding Factors of 24

Now, let's find the factors of 24.

1. Start with 1:

   • 1 × 24

2. Move to 2:

   • 2 × 12

3. Next, 3:

   • 3 × 8

4. Try 4:

   • 4 × 6

So, the factors of 24 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24.

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Watch Our Math Videos:

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Finding factors is a fundamental skill in math. It helps in understanding multiples and factors, and it’s the first step in mastering concepts like the greatest common factor. Practice with different numbers, and soon you’ll be a pro at finding factors!

Stay tuned for more fun math lessons, and don’t forget to subscribe to Mr. Ace Math on YouTube for more awesome math videos. Happy factoring!

 

See you in math class!

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~Mr. Ace