GCSE Secondary Maths Age 13-17 - Number: Prime Factors - Explained

The video tutorial explains how to express the number 56 as a product of its prime factors. It begins with an introduction to prime numbers, followed by a demonstration of the factor tree method to find the prime factors of 56. The process involves breaking down 56 into 7 and 8, then further decomposing 8 into 2 and 4, and finally 4 into 2 and 2. The result is expressed as 2 * 2 * 2 * 7. The tutorial concludes by showing how to write this factorization in index form, emphasizing that both the method and the final answer are important for full marks.

What is a prime number?

• A number with exactly two factors

• A number with only one factor

• A number that is even

• A number with more than two factors

Which of the following is NOT a prime number?

• 21

• 2

• 3

• 5

What is the first step in using the factor tree method for 56?

• Divide 56 by 2

• Multiply 7 by 8

• List all factors of 56

• Check if 56 is a prime number

What are the prime factors of 8 in the factor tree?

• 2 and 4

• 2 and 2

• 2, 2, and 2

• 4 and 4

How can the prime factorization of 56 be expressed in index form?

• 2^3 * 7

• 2 * 2 * 2 * 7

• 2^2 * 7

• 7^2 * 2