MATHEMATICS

UNIT 3
Factor Trees
Greatest Common Factor
Lowest Common Multiple
Fractions and Mixed Numbers
Equivalent Fractions
Addition of Fractions
 EXPRESSING A NUMBER AS A
PRODUCT OF PRIME FACTORS
FACTOR TREES

Numbers can be written as products of a series of

prime numbers multiplied together. To do this, we
can use a factor tree.

Let’s use
Continue to express
all composite numbers
as products of two
factors until all the
factors are prime
numbers.

This can also be

written as
3
2 x 3 = 24
 GREATEST COMMON FACTOR
Many numbers have factors that are common.
For example, let’s look at

1 x 24 1 x 36
2 x 12 2 x 18
3x8 3 x 12
4x6 4x9
6x6
Factors of 24 are 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24

Factors of 36 are 1,2,3,4,6,9,12,18,36

There are factors that are common to both 24

and 36. They are 1,2,3,4,6, and 12

Of these common factors, 12 is the largest, or

greatest. It is called the
 LOWEST COMMON MULTIPLE
Any time you take a number and multiply it by
another number, you get a multiple of the original
number. Let’s look at the number 3.
3x1=3
3x2=6 3,6,9,12,15,18,21, and 24 are all
3x3=9 multiples of 3. There are many
more. All you have to do is multiply
3 x 4 = 12 3 by any number to get a multiple of
3 x 5 = 15 3. Also, the number 3 will divide
evenly into all of its multiples.
3 x 6 = 18
3 x 7 = 21
3 x 8 = 24
Many numbers have common multiples. For
example:

Multiples of 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20...

Multiples of 3: 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30...

Common Multiples: 6,12,18... The symbol ... means “and so

on.” It refers to an infinite set
of numbers

The number 6 is the smallest multiple common to

both 2 and 3. It is called the Lowest Common
Multiple.
 FRACTIONS
A fraction is a number that refers to a part of a whole or a
part of a group.

NUMERATOR: This
number refers to the number of parts
of the whole you are dealing with.

DENOMINATOR:
This number refers to the total
number of pieces in the whole.

Seven people in total applied for the job. Four of those people were granted
interviews. Four of the seven received interviews.
 FRACTIONS

P Fractions where the numerator is a smaller

number than the denominator are called proper
fractions.
P Fractions where the numerator is larger than the
denominator are called improper fractions.
These types of fractions indicate an amount
greater than one whole
 IMPROPER FRACTIONS AND MIXED
NUMBERS

14 This type of fraction means that

3 there is more than 1 whole.

Improper fractions can also be expressed as

mixed numbers. A mixed number is a number
that has a whole number and a fraction
together.
14 To change an improper fraction to
} This line means a mixed number, you must divide
3 “divided by.” the numerator by the denominator.

14 divided by 3 is
Number of
Wholes Remainder

The original denominator. We

are talking about thirds.
Fourteen thirds is the same
as four and two thirds
 To change a mixed number to an improper fraction,
you must follow the following procedure:

Step 2: Add the answer

from step 1 to the numerator

12 + 2 = 14

Step 1: Multiply the

denominator by the whole
number
Step 3: Place the answer from
step 2 over the original denominator
3 x 4 = 12
 EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS
Any time the numerator and denominator of a
fraction are both multiplied by the same number,
the result is called an equivalent fraction.
Although the numbers in an equivalent fraction are
different, it still represents the same amount of the
original whole.
These fractions are
equivalent.
X They both represent
the same amount of
the whole.
 ADDING FRACTIONS
When the denominators of the
fractions are the same, simply add
+ = the two numerators together and
place your answer over the original
denominator.

When the denominators are not the

same, you will have to find a common
denominator before you can begin
+ = adding.

To find a common denominator for these two fractions,

you need to find the lowest common multiple for 5 and 3
The lowest common multiple of 5 and 3 is
15
Look at the relationship between the
original denominators of the fractions
and the new common denominator.
+ = What number would you have to
multiply the old denominator by to get
the new one?

Whatever that number is, multiply the

old numerator by it as well and place
your answer over the new common
+ = denominator. Do this for both fractions.

Add the two numerators together and

put your answer over the new
denominator.