Factors are things multiplied together. So numbers can have many different factors. For example, 12 can be seen as 6 × 2, or 3 × 4, or even 2 × 2 × 3. Notice that in the first two sets of factors, the 6 and the 4 can be further broken down to be 2 × 3 and 2 × 2, but the only factors of 2 are 2 × 1 and for 3, 3 × 1. (I am limiting myself to integer factors here because if other types of numbers are allowed, a number has an infinite number of factors).
So numbers like 2 and 3 that only have themselves and 1 as factors are called prime numbers. Other prime numbers are 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23. Notice that the only even prime number is 2 as all other even numbers have 2 as a possible factor.
The process of finding the Lowest Common Denominator (LCD) of two or more fractions is done by factoring the denominators into its prime factors. This post is about factoring. I will then use this new skill to find the LCD in my next post.
Now factoring is easier if you know the times tables, commonly up to and including the 12 times tables. When a textbook says to factor a number, it usually means to get the number down to factors of just prime numbers like we did for 12 = 2 × 2 × 3.
Let’s try some:
9 = 3 × 3, 16 = 4 × 4 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2, 20 = 4 × 5 = 2 × 2 × 5
So generally you just find any two factors of a number then break those factors down further until all that is left are prime numbers. When asked to do this by hand, the numbers are generally small, say less than 144 (12 × 12). Bigger numbers take more work and are usually done by computer programs. By the way, now that you know the factors of 12, you should be able to immediately write down the factors of 144:
144 = 12 × 12 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 2 × 2 × 3
Some more examples:
35 = 5 × 7, 40 = 4 × 10 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 5
100 = 10 × 10 = 2 × 5 × 2 × 5, 60 = 5 × 12 = 5 × 2 × 2 × 3
To find the LCD of two or more denominators, the first step will be to factor each denominator. I will do this in the next post.