As your math tutor, I’m here to help you break down factor pairs of 381 step by step!
Factor pairs of 381 are any two numbers that, when multiplied together, equal 381. The question to ask is “what two numbers multiplied together equal 381?” Every factor can be paired with another factor, and multiplying the two will result in 381.
To find the factor pairs of 381, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Find the smallest prime number that is larger than 1, and is a factor of 381. 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 3.
Step 2:
Divide 381 by the smallest prime factor, in this case, 3:
381 ÷ 3 = 127
3 and 127 will make a new factor pair.
Step 3:
Repeat Steps 1 and 2, using 127 as the new focus. Find the smallest prime factor that isn’t 1, and divide 127 by that number. In this case, 127 is the new smallest prime factor:
127 ÷ 127 = 1
Remember that this new factor pair is only for the factors of 127, not 381. So, to finish the factor pair for 381, you’d multiply 3 and 127 before pairing with 1:
3 x 127 = 381
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 381:
(1, 381), (3, 127)
So, to list all the factors of 381: 1, 3, 127, 381
The negative factors of 381 would be: -1, -3, -127, -381
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!