Factors, Multiples, Integers

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Integers are just whole numbers, positive and negative.

Factors are numbers you can multiply together to get another number:

For example, 2 and 3 are factors of 6, because 2x3=6. 3 and 4 are factors of 12, because 3x4=12. Also, 2x6=12 so 2 and 6 are also factors of 12.

A mutiple is the result of multiplying a number by an integer.

E.G. 24 is a multiple of 6 as 6x4=24. 24 is also a multiple of 2,3,4,8,12 and 24.

Some numbers have common factors.

For example, 24 and 30 both have factors 2, 3 and 6.

The largest of these (6) is the highest common factor (HCF).

2 or more numbers have common multiples.

For example, 4 has multiples 4,8,12,16,20,24,28...

And 3 has multiples 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27...

4 and 3 have common multiples 12,24...

Smallest of these numbers (12) is the lowest common multiple (LCM).