The MathBlog factoring calculator helps you quickly find all factors of a given number. Our tool will calculate the factors, prime factors, and factor pairs of a number you input. It also gives a detailed factor tree visualization, making it easy to see the step-by-step breakdown of how the number is factored into its prime components.

Factoring Calculator

What are factors of a number?

Factors of a number are the integers that divide the number exactly without leaving a remainder. In other words, if a number 𝑛 can be divided by another integer 𝑥 such that the result is also an integer (a number that is not a fraction; a whole number), then 𝑥 is a factor of 𝑛.

What are prime factors?

Prime factors of a number are the prime numbers that multiply together to give the original number. A prime number is a number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. To find the prime factors of a number, you break down the number into its prime components.

Prime factorization is useful for:

  • Finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of two or more numbers.
  • Finding the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of two numbers.
  • Finding the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of two numbers.
  • Simplifying fractions by canceling out common prime factors.
  • Cryptography and understanding number properties.

Prime factors reveal the “building blocks” of a number, making it easier to work with in many areas of mathematics. For a visual representation, we can use the factor tree of 12 to make it easier to understand.

The factor tree for 12
12
|\
26
|\
23

That tells us that \( 12 = 2 \times 2 \times 3 \).

That means the prime factors of 12 are 2 and 3.

What is a common factor?

A common factor is a factor that two or more numbers share. In other words, it’s a number that divides each of the given numbers exactly, without leaving a remainder. To find the common factors of multiple numbers, you first determine the factors of each number individually and then identify the factors that are common to all.

What are factor pairs?

Factor pairs are pairs of numbers that, when multiplied together, produce a given number. Each factor pair consists of two factors whose product equals the original number. They are useful for understanding the structure of a number and its divisors.

The properties of factor pairs are:

  • Symmetry: Factor pairs mirror around the square root of the number. For example, if n=24, pairs like (1, 24) and (24, 1) are symmetrical.
  • Product Equals the Number: Each factor pair’s product must always equal the original number.
  • Positive and Negative Pairs: Factor pairs can be positive or negative. For example, for 24, both (3, 8) and (-3, -8) are valid factor pairs.

Divisibility rules

Divisibility rules are shortcuts that help determine whether a number can be divided by another number without performing long division. They’re useful to quickly identify factors and simplify math problems. Here are some basic divisibility rules that you should know:

  1. Divisibility by 2:
    • A number is divisible by 2 if its last digit is even (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8).
    • Example: 84 is divisible by 2 because the last digit (4) is even.
  2. Divisibility by 3:
    • A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3.
    • Example: 123 is divisible by 3 because the sum of its digits (1 + 2 + 3 = 6) is divisible by 3.
  3. Divisibility by 4:
    • A number is divisible by 4 if the last two digits form a number that is divisible by 4.
    • Example: 316 is divisible by 4 because the last two digits (16) are divisible by 4.
  4. Divisibility by 5:
    • A number is divisible by 5 if its last digit is 0 or 5.
    • Example: 135 is divisible by 5 because it ends in 5.
  5. Divisibility by 6:
    • A number is divisible by 6 if it is divisible by both 2 and 3.
    • Example: 84 is divisible by 6 because it is divisible by 2 (ends in 4) and by 3 (sum of digits is 12, which is divisible by 3).
  6. Divisibility by 8:
    • A number is divisible by 8 if the last three digits form a number that is divisible by 8.
    • Example: 1,024 is divisible by 8 because the last three digits (024) are divisible by 8.
  7. Divisibility by 9:
    • A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 9.
    • Example: 729 is divisible by 9 because the sum of its digits (7 + 2 + 9 = 18) is divisible by 9.
  8. Divisibility by 10:
    • A number is divisible by 10 if its last digit is 0.
    • Example: 340 is divisible by 10 because it ends in 0.

Additional Divisibility Rules

  1. Divisibility by 11:
    • A number is divisible by 11 if the difference between the sum of its alternating digits is 0 or a multiple of 11.
    • Example: 1,122 is divisible by 11 because (1 + 2) – (1 + 2) = 0.
  2. Divisibility by 12:
    • A number is divisible by 12 if it is divisible by both 3 and 4.
    • Example: 144 is divisible by 12 because it is divisible by 3 (sum of digits is 9) and by 4 (last two digits are 44).

How to factor numbers (Factorization)

Factorization (or factoring) is the process of breaking down a number into its prime factors or other factors that multiply together to form the original number. This process is useful for simplifying mathematical expressions, solving equations, and finding common divisors or multiples.

There are three methods to calculate the factors of a number.

1. Basic Factorization

Basic Factorization is a straightforward method of finding all factors of a number by systematically testing each integer from 1 up to the number itself to see which ones divide evenly (with zero remainder).

Here’s how basic factorization works:

  • Start with 1 and check divisibility up to the given number n.
  • For each number i that divides n without a remainder, record both i and n÷i as factors.
  • Continue until all factor pairs are identified.

2. Prime Factorization

Prime Factorization is the process of breaking down a number into its prime factors—the prime numbers that multiply together to produce the original number. A prime number is a number greater than 1 that has no divisors other than 1 and itself. The goal of prime factorization is to express the number as a product of prime numbers.

Here’s how prime factorization works

  • Start with the Smallest Prime Number:
    • Begin by dividing the number by the smallest prime number (usually 2).
    • If it’s divisible, continue dividing by that prime number until it no longer divides evenly.
  • Move to the Next Prime Number:
    • If the number is no longer divisible by the smallest prime, move to the next prime (3, 5, 7, etc.) and repeat the process.
  • Repeat Until the Quotient is 1:
    • Continue dividing by prime numbers until the quotient reaches 1.
  • List the Prime Factors:
    • Collect all the prime numbers you divided by. These are the prime factors of the original number.

3. Factorization Using Trial Division

Factorization using trial division is a systematic method for finding all the factors of a number by testing divisibility with consecutive integers, starting from 1 up to the square root of the number. Unlike other factorization methods, it is not restricted to just prime numbers but considers all integers as potential divisors until the square root.

Here’s how trial division works:

  • Find the Square Root: First, determine the square root of the given number \( n \) and round down to the nearest whole number. Let’s call this \( s \).
  • Test Consecutive Integers from 1 to \( s \): Start from 1 and test each integer up to \( s \) to see if it divides \( n \) without leaving a remainder.
  • Record Factor Pairs: For each integer \( i \) that divides \( n \), both \( i \) and \( n \div i \) are factors of \( n \).

Example Factorization

For the number 12, its factors are: \( 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, \) and \( 12 \). Here’s how you calculate:

Basic Method

  • 1 divides 12 exactly, as \( 12 \div 1 = 12 \),
  • 2 divides 12 exactly, as \( 12 \div 2 = 6 \),
  • 3 divides 12 exactly, as \( 12 \div 3 = 4 \),
  • 4 divides 12 exactly, as \( 12 \div 4 = 3 \),
  • 6 divides 12 exactly, as \(12 \div 6 = 2 \),
  • 12 divides 12 exactly, as \( 12 \div 12 = 1 \).

Prime Factorization

  • Start with the smallest prime number, 2: \( 12 \div 2 = 6 \).
  • Continue dividing by 2: \( 6 \div 2 = 3 \).
  • Next prime number is 3: \( 3 \div 3 = 1 \).
  • Stop as 4 would be higher than 3.56.

\(12 = 2 \times 2 \times 3 \) or \( 12 = 2^2 \times 3 \).

The prime factors of 12 are 2 and 3.


Trial Division

  • Find the square root of 12, which is \( \sqrt{12} \approx 3.46 \). Round down to 3.
  • Test all integers from 1 through 3 for division:
    • \( 12 \div 1 = 12 \Rightarrow (1, 12) \),
    • \( 12 \div 2 = 6 \Rightarrow (2, 6) \),
    • \( 12 \div 3 = 4 \Rightarrow (3, 4) \).

The factor pairs are \( (1, 12), (2, 6), \) and \( (3, 4) \).

The factors of 12 are \( 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, \) and \( 12 \).


Prime Factorization vs Trial Division Method

  • Prime Factorization Method: When using prime factorization, you only test divisibility using prime numbers such as 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and so on. You keep dividing n by prime numbers until n is fully broken down into a product of only prime numbers.
  • Trial Division Method: Trial division tests every integer, not just prime numbers, up to s. The goal is to find all factors of n (including composite factors), not just the prime factors. For example, if using trial division for 12, you would test 1, 2, and 3 (all integers up to its square root, \( \sqrt{12} \approx 3.46 \) ) to get factor pairs: (1, 12), (2, 6), and (3, 4).

“Factors of” Examples

Check out these examples below and learn how you can find the factors of a number yourself, fast and easy.

Factors of 1-100

You can use the MathBlog factor calculator at the top of the page to obtain the list of factors for any number, or you could refer to our table below for factors of numbers 1 to 100.

Factors of Numbers from 1 to 100
Factors of 11
Factors of 21, 2
Factors of 31, 3
Factors of 41, 2, 4
Factors of 51, 5
Factors of 61, 2, 3, 6
Factors of 71, 7
Factors of 81, 2, 4, 8
Factors of 91, 3, 9
Factors of 101, 2, 5, 10
Factors of 111, 11
Factors of 121, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
Factors of 131, 13
Factors of 141, 2, 7, 14
Factors of 151, 3, 5, 15
Factors of 161, 2, 4, 8, 16
Factors of 171, 17
Factors of 181, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
Factors of 191, 19
Factors of 201, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20
Factors of 211, 3, 7, 21
Factors of 221, 2, 11, 22
Factors of 231, 23
Factors of 241, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24
Factors of 251, 5, 25
Factors of 261, 2, 13, 26
Factors of 271, 3, 9, 27
Factors of 281, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28
Factors of 291, 29
Factors of 301, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 30
Factors of 311, 31
Factors of 321, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32
Factors of 331, 3, 11, 33
Factors of 341, 2, 17, 34
Factors of 351, 5, 7, 35
Factors of 361, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36
Factors of 371, 37
Factors of 381, 2, 19, 38
Factors of 391, 3, 13, 39
Factors of 401, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20, 40
Factors of 411, 41
Factors of 421, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, 42
Factors of 431, 43
Factors of 441, 2, 4, 11, 22, 44
Factors of 451, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45
Factors of 461, 2, 23, 46
Factors of 471, 47
Factors of 481, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48
Factors of 491, 7, 49
Factors of 501, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50
Factors of 511, 3, 17, 51
Factors of 521, 2, 4, 13, 26, 52
Factors of 531, 53
Factors of 541, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18, 27, 54
Factors of 551, 5, 11, 55
Factors of 561, 2, 4, 7, 8, 14, 28, 56
Factors of 571, 3, 19, 57
Factors of 581, 2, 29, 58
Factors of 591, 59
Factors of 601, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60
Factors of 611, 61
Factors of 621, 2, 31, 62
Factors of 631, 3, 7, 9, 21, 63
Factors of 641, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64
Factors of 651, 5, 13, 65
Factors of 661, 2, 3, 6, 11, 22, 33, 66
Factors of 671, 67
Factors of 681, 2, 4, 17, 34, 68
Factors of 691, 3, 23, 69
Factors of 701, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 35, 70
Factors of 711, 71
Factors of 721, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 72
Factors of 731, 73
Factors of 741, 2, 37, 74
Factors of 751, 3, 5, 15, 25, 75
Factors of 761, 2, 4, 19, 38, 76
Factors of 771, 7, 11, 77
Factors of 781, 2, 3, 6, 13, 26, 39, 78
Factors of 791, 79
Factors of 801, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20, 40, 80
Factors of 811, 3, 9, 27, 81
Factors of 821, 2, 41, 82
Factors of 831, 83
Factors of 841, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 14, 21, 28, 42, 84
Factors of 851, 5, 17, 85
Factors of 861, 2, 43, 86
Factors of 871, 3, 29, 87
Factors of 881, 2, 4, 8, 11, 22, 44, 88
Factors of 891, 89
Factors of 901, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 18, 30, 45, 90
Factors of 911, 7, 13, 91
Factors of 921, 2, 4, 23, 46, 92
Factors of 931, 3, 31, 93
Factors of 941, 2, 47, 94
Factors of 951, 5, 19, 95
Factors of 961, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 96
Factors of 971, 97
Factors of 981, 2, 7, 14, 49, 98
Factors of 991, 3, 9, 11, 33, 99
Factors of 1001, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100
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