Understanding factors and multiples helps us work with numbers easily — especially in division, multiplication, and simplifying fractions.

This lesson will teach you how to find the factors and multiples of a number and how to tell the difference between them.

Factors are numbers that divide exactly into another number without leaving a remainder.

🔹 Example:
Factors of 12 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
(They all divide into 12 evenly)

We can say:
4 is a factor of 12 because 4 × 3 = 12

Multiples are what you get when you multiply a number by 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

🔹 Example:
Multiples of 5 = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25…

We can say:
25 is a multiple of 5 because 5 × 5 = 25

• Factors go into a number
  (e.g. 3 is a factor of 15)
• Multiples come from a number
  (e.g. 30 is a multiple of 5)

💡 Tip:

• Factors are always smaller than or equal to the number
• Multiples are usually greater than or equal to the number

Time’s up

Here’s what you’ve learned:

• ✅ Factors divide a number exactly
• ✅ Multiples are the result of multiplying the number
• Use multiplication and division facts to help find them
• Factors are useful in simplifying fractions and solving division
• Multiples help in finding common denominators, solving time & money problems, and more

Keep practicing to spot factors and multiples quickly!