As your math tutor, I’m here to help you break down factor pairs of 497 step by step!
Factor pairs of 497 are any two numbers that, when multiplied together, equal 497. The question to ask is “what two numbers multiplied together equal 497?” Every factor can be paired with another factor, and multiplying the two will result in 497.
To find the factor pairs of 497, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Find the smallest prime number that is larger than 1, and is a factor of 497. 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 7.
Step 2:
Divide 497 by the smallest prime factor, in this case, 7:
497 ÷ 7 = 71
7 and 71 will make a new factor pair.
Step 3:
Repeat Steps 1 and 2, using 71 as the new focus. Find the smallest prime factor that isn’t 1, and divide 71 by that number. In this case, 71 is the new smallest prime factor:
71 ÷ 71 = 1
Remember that this new factor pair is only for the factors of 71, not 497. So, to finish the factor pair for 497, you’d multiply 7 and 71 before pairing with 1:
7 x 71 = 497
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 497:
(1, 497), (7, 71)
So, to list all the factors of 497: 1, 7, 71, 497
The negative factors of 497 would be: -1, -7, -71, -497
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!