As your math tutor, I’m here to help you break down factor pairs of 322 step by step!
Factor pairs of 322 are any two numbers that, when multiplied together, equal 322. The question to ask is “what two numbers multiplied together equal 322?” Every factor can be paired with another factor, and multiplying the two will result in 322.
To find the factor pairs of 322, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Find the smallest prime number that is larger than 1, and is a factor of 322. For reference, the first prime numbers to check are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13. In this case, the smallest factor that’s a prime number larger than 1 is 2.
Step 2:
Divide 322 by the smallest prime factor, in this case, 2:
322 ÷ 2 = 161
2 and 161 will make a new factor pair.
Step 3:
Repeat Steps 1 and 2, using 161 as the new focus. Find the smallest prime factor that isn’t 1, and divide 161 by that number. In this case, 7 is the new smallest prime factor:
161 ÷ 7 = 23
Remember that this new factor pair is only for the factors of 161, not 322. So, to finish the factor pair for 322, you’d multiply 2 and 7 before pairing with 23:
2 x 7 = 14
Step 4:
Repeat this process until there are no longer any prime factors larger than one to divide by. At the end, you should have the full list of factor pairs.
Here are all the factor pairs for 322:
(1, 322), (2, 161), (7, 46), (14, 23)
So, to list all the factors of 322: 1, 2, 7, 14, 23, 46, 161, 322
The negative factors of 322 would be: -1, -2, -7, -14, -23, -46, -161, -322
Now you’ve got it! A math tutor would always encourage you to practice with different numbers to reinforce your understanding of factor pairs. Try another one!