Prime Factorisation
Ages 10–14Difficulty adapts to you
Prime Factorisation
Every whole number greater than 1 can be written as a product of prime numbers. Apart from the order of the factors, that prime factorisation is unique.
Your goals
- ✓You can break numbers down into their prime factors.
- ✓You can use prime factor, prime factorisation correctly.
- ✓You can multiply all prime factors to recover the original number.
Words to know
- prime factor:
- A factor that is also a prime number.
- prime factorisation:
- A whole number greater than 1 written as a product of prime factors.
Examples
- 112 = 2 × 2 × 3 = 2² × 3.
- 260 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 = 2² × 3 × 5.
Check these
- • Do not leave a composite number in the final factorisation.
- • Keep every number, symbol, label, and unit in its correct place.
- • Show enough working to check how you reached your answer.
Helpful habits
- • Read the whole question before choosing what to do.
- • Show one clear step at a time and check each step.
- • If you are stuck, draw a model, try smaller numbers, or revisit the example.
Now try your own
Create your own prime factorisation example, solve it, and explain how you checked it.
Shield
Safety & Digital Confidence“Take breaks when you need them. Your brain needs rest too!”