Common Factors

Consider when there are lots of people and each person has two apples and one box.



One person One times two apples and one box

Two people Two times two apples and two times one box.
Two is a factor of Four and Two


Three people
Three times two apples and three times one box.
Three is a factor of Six and Three.


Four people

Four times two apples and four times one box,.

Four is a factor of Eight and Four.

Each person adds two apples and one box .

The number of apples will be the number of people times Two and the number of boxes will be the number of people times One.

The number of people will be a factor of the number of apples and the number of boxes.

Another example.

Each person has five apples and three boxes .

Two people

2 x 5 apples, 2 x 3 boxes, 2 is a factor of 10 and 6, 6 and 10 are in the 2 times table



Six people

6 x 5 apples, 6 x 3 boxes, 6 is a factor of 30 and 18, 18 and 30 are in the 6 times table.

Common factors occur when different numbers of objects are multiplied the same number of times.

When two numbers appear in the same times tables then they have a common factor.

Factors are an important factor in simplifying division.