Chapter 1: Divisibility Rules
Divisibility Rules
Six is a factor of 48, because 48 is some number times 6.
We say that 8 is a divisor of 48,
The product of 6 and 8 is written as 6 × 8. We can also because the division 48 ÷ 8
solve it, and find that the product of 6 and 8 equals 48. is even (there is no remainder).
The terms factor and divisor mean the same thing. For example, 7 is a divisor of 84 because 84 ÷ 7
is an even division. But that means that 7 × (some number) = 84, so 7 is a factor of 84.
If a number is a factor of another number, it is also its divisor.
1. Answer the questions. Explain also why or why not it is so.
a. Is 8 a factor of 100?
b. Is 7 a factor of 3 500?
c. Is 9 a divisor of 50?
A number is divisible by another number if the division is even (there is no remainder).
Example 1. Is 7 854 divisible by 13? Example 2. Is 2 × 3 × 17 divisible by 10? By 6?
To check, divide 7 854 by 13 (either 2 × 3 × 17 is 6 × 17. The answer to this cannot end in 0
with long division or a calculator). (it will end in 2, because 6 × 7 = 42 ends in 2), so the number
is not divisible by 10.
You get 604.153846… The division
is not even, so 7 854 is not The number 2 × 3 × 17 is divisible by 6, since it is six
divisible by 13. times some number (it is 6 times 17).
2. Answer. In each case, explain why or why not it is so (justify your answer).
a. Is 283 divisible by 13?
b. Is 13 × 2 809 divisible by 13?
c. Is 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 divisible by 2?
d. Is 9 896 divisible by 7?
e. Is 2 × 758 × 5 divisible by 10?
f. Is 2 × 15 × 2 × 7 divisible by 4?
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Chapter 1: Divisibility Rules
Easy divisibility rules (You should already know these.)
A number is divisible by 2 if it ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Such a number is even.
A number is divisible by 5 if it ends in 0 or 5. For example, 395 is divisible by 5.
A number is divisible by 10 if it ends in 0. For example, 56 930 is divisible by 10.
A number is divisible by 100 if it ends in “00”. For example, 450 00 is divisible by 100.
A number is divisible by 1 000 if it ends in “000”. For example, 450 000 is divisible by 1 000.
3. Mark an “x” if the number is divisible by 2, 5, 10, 100, or 1 000.
Divisible by 2 5 10 100 1000 Divisible by 2 5 10 100 1000
825 600 200
400 56 000
332 307 995
A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3.
Example 3. To check if 93 025 is divisible Tip: in adding the digits, you can totally omit
by 3, add its digits: any digits that are divisible by 3 (namely 3, 6,
and 9). For example, to check if 993 768 is
9 + 3 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 19 divisible by 3, just add 7 + 8 = 15 and omit
9, 9, 3, and 6. Since 15 is divisible by 3, so
Since 19 is not divisible by 3, neither is 93 025.
is 993 768.
4. Divide using long division if these numbers are divisible by 3.
a. 539
b. 43 719
c. 9 032
5. Change one of the digits in the number 238 882 so
that the number is divisible by 3, but not divisible by 2.
6.
Who am I? Who am I?
“I am between 50 and 100. “You’ll find me between 110 and 140.
I am divisible by 3 and by 4. I don’t end in a zero.
My tens digit is double my ones digit.” And I am divisible by 12.”
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Chapter 1: Divisibility Rules
The divisibility rule for 9 is nearly identical to that of the 3:
A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 9.
Example 4. To check if 105 642 is divisible by 9, add its digits:
1 + 0 + 5 + 6 + 4 + 2 = 18
Since 18 is divisible by 9, so is 105 642.
7. Divide using long division if these numbers are divisible by 9.
a. 888
b. 576
c. 44 082
A number is divisible by 6 if it is divisible by both 2 and 3.
8. Mark an “x” if the number is divisible by 2, 3, 5, 6, or 9.
Divisible by 2 3 5 6 9 Divisible by 2 3 5 6 9
589 495
558 3 594
Tip! If you know that a number is divisible by some number n, then you can skip-count by n
to find more numbers that are also divisible by the number n.
Example 5. You know that 100 is divisible by 4. Then, 100 − 4 = 96 is also divisible by 4.
Skip-count by fours — up or down — to get a list of numbers that are divisible by 4:
100, 96, 92, 88, 84, etc. or 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, etc.
These are consecutive numbers divisible by 4.
9. a. Make a list of five consecutive numbers
that are divisible by 9, starting from 99.
b. Make a list of five consecutive numbers that
are divisible by 7, counting down from 686.
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Chapter 1: Divisibility Rules
A number is divisible by 4 if the number formed from its last two digits is divisible by 4.
Example 6. To check if 5 789 is divisible by 4, just look at its last two digits, 89. Since 89 is
not divisible by 4, neither is 5 789.
Why does this work? It works because 100, 200, 300, and every other multiple of hundred is
divisible by 4, which means that 5 700 is divisible by 4 also. Then, we can simply count by fours
starting at 5 700 to find numbers that are divisible by 4: 5 704; 5 708; 5 712; 5 716; and so on.
These numbers corresponds to this list of numbers that are divisible by 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on.
10. Mark an “x” if the number is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 9.
Divisible by 2 3 4 5 6 9 Divisible by 2 3 4 5 6 9
1 755 3 548
298 277
4 000 237
3 270 10 999
A number is divisible by 8 if half of it is divisible by 4.
Example 7. To check if 244 is divisible by 8, we check if 122 is divisible by 4.
Since 120 is divisible by 4, 122 cannot be. So, 244 is not divisible by 8.
11. Mark an “x” if the number is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9.
Divisible by 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 Divisible by 2 3 4 5 6 8 9
628 938
405 224
12. Fill in the patterns. Notice the patterns in the remainders!
a. 26 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ b. 78 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ c. 54 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
27 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 79 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 55 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
28 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 80 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 56 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
29 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 81 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 57 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
30 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 82 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 58 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
31 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 83 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 59 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
32 ÷ 4 = ______ R ____ 84 ÷ 3 = ______ R ____ 60 ÷ 7 = ______ R ____
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Chapter 1: Divisibility Rules
13. We know that 686 is evenly divisible by 7.
a. What is the remainder if 687 is divided by 7?
b. What is the remainder if 688 is divided by 7?
c. What is the remainder if 689 is divided by 7?
14. Here is a fact: 1 881 is evenly divisible by 11.
a. What is the remainder if 1 882 is divided by 11?
b. What is the remainder if 1 886 is divided by 11?
c. What is the remainder if 1 890 is divided by 11?
15. a. Find a number that is evenly divisible by 6 and is between 90 and 100.
b. Find a number that leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by 6, and is between 90 and 100.
16. Labyrinths! Find your path from the left side to the right. You may move right, left, up, or down
(not diagonally) using numbers that are divisible by the given number. Each number on your path
has to be greater than the previous number on your path.
Divisible by 4: Divisible by 3:
18 52 100 502 300 312 348 322 5 15 23 392 486 500 510 581
16 44 64 446 292 144 360 422 3 9 14 298 471 492 501 555
6 16 72 292 280 266 436 232 6 21 35 255 444 504 398 577
86 94 104 144 216 204 568 522 15 27 39 65 408 354 345 362
60 54 128 132 244 286 572 588 17 37 41 99 103 287 285 311
12 8 12 90 308 312 78 544 21 33 44 81 88 204 234 254
15 12 136 98 254 308 348 548 22 36 51 69 127 171 202 189
44 48 66 166 256 388 428 444 9 16 33 72 108 132 156 166
17.
Who am I? Who am I?
“I am divisible by 8 but not by 5. “I am divisible by 6. I am greater than 200
I am greater than 25 but less than 45.” but less than 220. The sum of my digits is 3.”
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Chapter 1: Revision: Factors and Primes
Revision: Factors and Primes
In any multiplication the numbers that are multiplied are factor factor product
called factors and the result is called a product.
7 × 6 = 42
From the multiplication fact on the right we can make two
division facts: 42 ÷ 6 = 7 and 42 ÷ 7 = 6.
Therefore, 42 is divisible by both 6 and 7. In other words, 6 and 7 are divisors of 42.
They are also factors of 42! Factors of a number are its divisors.
When you write a number as a product, you are factoring the number.
Example 1. To factor 96, note it is divisible by 3. We write 96 = 3 × 32 , and we have factored it.
Another way to factor 96 is 96 = 6 × 4 × 4 . Yet another way is 96 = 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 .
1. Factor each number. In other words, write it as a multiplication. You may use two or more factors.
Just do not use one times the number itself.
product factors product factors product factors
a. 10 5×2 c. 120 e. 54
b. 50 d. 22 f. 72
2. The table on the left lists numbers from 1 to 7 and has x-marks for the numbers that are its divisors.
The table on the right is not filled in. That is your task!
Divisible by: Divisible by:
Number Number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 x 8
2 x x 9
3 x x 10
4 x x x 11
5 x x 12
6 x x x x 13
7 x x 14
3. Find all the numbers in the tables above that have exactly two divisors: 1 and the number itself.
Such numbers are called prime numbers.
Write a list of primes that are less than 14: _______________________________________
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Chapter 1: Revision: Factors and Primes
4. Repeat the same exercise for numbers between 15 and 47. Be on the lookout for primes.
divisible by
number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
Write a list of primes that are between 15 and 47: ________________________________________
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Chapter 1: Revision: Factors and Primes
Example 2. Find all the factors of 92.
Now, it helps to be organised. Let’s check if 92 is divisible by all the numbers from 1 to 10, and
keep track of the factors we find.
• It is divisible by 1 (all numbers are): 92 = 1 × 92. So, 1 and 92 are factors of 92.
• It is divisible by 2: 92 = 2 × 46. So, here we find 2 and 46 both are factors of 92.
• It is not divisible by 3 (the digit sum is 11). It can't be divisible by 6 or 9 since it was not by 3.
• It is divisible by 4, because we can skip-count from it and reach 100, which clearly is divisible
by 4. We write 92 = 4 × 23. So, 4 and 23 are factors of 92.
• It is not divisible by 5 or by 10 as it does not end in 0 nor 5.
• Is it divisible by 7? No, because 84, 91, and 98 are.
• Is it divisible by 8? Half of 92 is 46, which is not divisible by 4. So, 92 is not divisible by 8.
Or, skip-count from 80 by eights: 80, 88, and 96 are divisible by 8. So, 92 is not.
Our check is complete. So, we found 1, 2, 4, 23, 46, and 92. Those are all the factors of 92.
Why do we not have to check if 92 is divisible by 11, 12, 13, and so on?
If 92 was 11 times a number, it would be 11 times some smaller number than 11. We went through
all the smaller numbers already and did not find that any of them times 11 would equal 92.
5. Find all the factors of the given numbers. Use the checklist; keep track of all the factors you find.
a. 26 b. 38
Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
factors: ______________________________ factors: ______________________________
c. 88 d. 47
Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
factors: ______________________________ factors: ______________________________
e. 71 f. 86
Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
factors: ______________________________ factors: ______________________________
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Chapter 1: Revision: Factors and Primes
6. Find all the factors of the given numbers.
a. 24 b. 58
Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
factors: ______________________________ factors: ______________________________
c. 64 d. 96
Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Check 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
factors: ______________________________ factors: ______________________________
7. a. Find a prime between 80 and 90.
b. Find a number that is divisible by 13 and that is between 70 and 80.
c. Find a number that is divisible by 6 and that is between 130 and 140.
a. Find a prime between 110 and 120.
b. Number 24 has eight factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, c. Find a number that is divisible by 3
8, 12, and 24. Find a number that has even and by 5 and has exactly eight factors.
more factors and is less than 40.
Is 1 a prime number?
Up until 1899, mathematicians listed 1 as a prime number. Since then, modern mathematics has excluded
1 from the list of primes. So in today’s books, the list of primes starts from 2. However, even today, some
mathematicians insist 1 is a prime.
When 1 is excluded, many theorems and results of mathematics can be written in a simpler way, but
fundamentally, the idea of not listing 1 as a prime is a matter of convention and convenience.
Please see also:
http://primefan.tripod.com/Prime1ProCon.html - Arguments for and against the primality of 1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number#Primality_of_one
64
Chapter 1: Prime Factorisation
Prime Factorisation
Prime numbers have only two divisors: 1 and the number itself. factor factor product
11 is prime. If a number is not prime, it is a composite number. 1 × 11 = 11
In the last lesson, we found that the primes less than 30 are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13,
17, 19, 23, and 29. One is usually not counted as prime (see the last lesson for an explanation).
Prime factorisation using a factor tree
A factor tree is a handy way to factor composite numbers (root) 24
to their prime factors. The factor tree starts at the root and / \
grows “upside down!” 4 × 6
To factor 24, we write 24 on top. First, 24 is written as 4 × 6. / \ / \
However, 4 and 6 are not primes, so we continue factoring. (leaves) 2 × 2 × 2 × 3
Four is factored into 2 × 2 and six is factored into 2 × 3.
We cannot factor 2 or 3 any further because they are prime numbers.
Once you get only primes in your “tree,” they are the “leaves” and
you stop factoring in that “branch.” So the prime factorisation of 24 is: 24 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3.
Examples of factoring some composite numbers:
You can start the
30 5 is a prime number or a 66 66
factoring process
/ \ “leaf.” Once you’re done, / \ / \
any way you
5×6 “pick the leaves”— you 11 × 6 OR 2 × 33
want. The end
/ \ can circle them to see them / \ / \
result is the same:
2×3 better! So, 30 = 2 × 3 × 5. 2×3 11 × 3
66 = 2 × 3 × 11.
21 Both 3 and 7 are prime 89 The only way to write 89 as
/ \ numbers, so we cannot factor / \ a product of primes is 1 × 89.
3×7 them any further. 21 = 3 × 7. 1 × 89 This means it is prime.
Seventy-two has lots of How do you get started?
72 factors so the factoring 57
/ \ takes many steps. / \
• Check if 57 is in any
12 × 6 of the times tables.
So, its prime factorisation
/ \ / \
is 72 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3. • Use divisibility tests
3×4×2×3
/ \ We could have also to check if it is
2×2 started with 72 = 2 × 36 divisible by 2, 3, 4,
or 72 = 4 × 18. 5, etc.
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Chapter 1: Prime Factorisation
1. Factor the following composite numbers to their prime factors.
a. 18 b. 6 c. 14
/ \ /\ /\
2×9
/ \
3×3
18 = 2 × 3 × 3
d. 8 e. 12 f. 20
/\ /\ /\
g. 16 h. 24 i. 27
/\ /\ /\
j. 25 k. 33 l. 15
/\ /\ /\
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Chapter 1: Prime Factorisation
2. Find the prime factorisation of the numbers. If the number is prime, write it as 1 times the number.
a. 42 b. 56 c. 68
/\ /\ /\
d. 75 e. 47 f. 99
/\ /\ /\
g. 72 h. 80 i. 97
/\ /\ /\
j. 85 k. 66 l. 82
/\ /\ /\
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Chapter 1: Prime Factorisation
Prime numbers are like building blocks of all numbers. They are the first and foremost, and the
rest of the numbers — the composite numbers — are “built” from them. “Building numbers” is
like factoring backwards. We start with the building blocks (the primes) and see what we get:
2×5×2×2 2×3×2×3×2 5×2×7 2 × 7 × 2×3
\/ \/ \/ \/ | \ / | \/ \ /
10 × 4 6 × 6 ×2 10 × 7 14 × 6
\ / | \ / \ / \ /
40 6 × 12 70 84
\ /
72
By using the process above (building numbers starting from primes) you can build any
whole number there is! Can you believe that?
Stated in another way: ALL numbers can be factored so that the factors are prime
numbers. That is sort of amazing! This fact is known as the fundamental theorem of
arithmetic. Indeed, it is fundamental.
So, no matter what the number is — 992 or 83 283 or 150 282 —
992
it can be written as a product of primes.
/ \
The number 992 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 31 (see the factorisation 4 × 248
on the right). For 83 283 we get 3 × 17 × 23 × 71, and / \ / \
150 282 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 11 × 11 × 23. 2 × 2 × 4 × 62
/ \ / \
To find these factorisations, you need to test-divide the numbers 2 × 2 × 2 × 31
by various primes, which is a bit tedious. That is why people use
computers to help with factorisation of numbers.
3. Build composite numbers from primes.
a. 2 × 5 × 11 b. 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 c. 2 × 3 × 7
\ / | \ / \ / \ / |
d. 11 × 3 × 2 e. 3 × 3 × 2 × 5 f. 2 × 3 × 17
| \ / \ / \ /
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Chapter 1: Prime Factorization
4. Build more composite numbers from primes.
a. 2 × 5 × 13 b. 7 × 13 × 2 × 11 c. 19 × 3 × 5 × 2
5. Try it on your own! Pick 3-6 primes as you wish (you can use the same prime several times), and
see what number is built from them.
Ready for a challenge? Use your knowledge of divisibility tests and
the calculator, and find the prime factorisation of these numbers:
a. 2 145 b. 3 680 c. 10 164
69
