Factors of 6
The factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3, 6. 6 is a composite number with 4 factors. Prime factorisation: 2 × 3.
All 4 factors of 6
1, 2, 3, 6
A factor divides 6 exactly, with no remainder. Every factor has a partner: the pairs below multiply to 6. The negative factors are -1, -2, -3, -6, because a negative times a negative is positive.
Factor pairs of 6
| Pair | Product |
|---|---|
| 1 × 6 | 6 |
| 2 × 3 | 6 |
Stop at the square root (2): every pair after that is one you already have, the other way round.
Prime factorisation of 6: 2 × 3
| Divide | by the smallest prime | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 1 |
So 6 = 2 × 3.
The number of factors comes from the exponents: (1 + 1) × (1 + 1) = 4.
How to find the factors of 6
- Start with 1 and 6: every number has those two.
- Test 2, 3, 4, … up to the square root of 6, which is about 2.
- Each time a number divides exactly, write it down with its partner (the quotient).
- Use the divisibility rules to skip work: by 2 yes (the last digit is even); by 3 yes (the digit sum is 6); by 5 no (the last digit is 6).
- Put the list in order: 1, 2, 3, 6.
🧮 Calculator
The answer appears here, with the working in words.
✏️ Five questions, answers hidden
1. List the factors of 7.
Answer: 1, 7
2. Write the prime factorisation of 12.
Answer: 2^2 × 3
3. How many factors does 6 have?
Answer: 4
4. What is the largest factor of 6 other than itself?
Answer: 3
5. Is 8 prime or composite?
Answer: composite
📚 The class this belongs to
Factors are taught in Grade 4 and 5 in the US, Year 5 and 6 in the UK, Class 4 to 6 in CBSE (NCERT Class 6, Playing with Numbers) and Year 5 and 6 in Australia.
If this page is the homework and the method is not sticking, that is what a 1-on-1 class fixes: one tutor with a master's degree, one child, on a shared whiteboard, in your time zone, about US$10 to $13 an hour. How 1-on-1 online tutoring works.