Remember that you learned previously that a prime number is a whole number greater than 1 which is divisible by only 1 and itself. In contrast, a composite number is a whole number greater than 1 which is divisible by 1 and itself, but also by at least one other number. This lesson is all about prime factorization and product of primes, so we’ll define what these mean. Before we do that, however, we need to talk about factors.
Read MoreA common factor of two positive whole numbers is a number that divides evenly into both of them. Their greatest common factor (sometimes abbreviated GCF) is the largest number that divides evenly into both of them. Another name that’s used for “greatest common factor” is “greatest common divisor” (sometimes abbreviated GCD).
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