GRADE 9 MATHEMATICS PAPER 1 - 2019, QUESTION 13 SolutionA factor in English is something that contributes to a certain result, something that causes a certain result. Factors can also be understood the same way mathematically in the sense that it is a number that is multiplied with a number to produce another number. Mathematically, a factor is defined as a number that can go into another number without leaving a remainder. If I asked you what values or numbers contribute to a result in 4? what values or numbers can go into 4 without leaving a remainder? what would you say? lets have a look at numbers that divide 4 evenly without leaving a remainder; 4 = 1 x 4 4 = 2 x 2 a) 1 and 4 are factors of 4 because they contribute to the result of 4, and can divide 4 evenly without leaving a remainder b) 2 is a factor of 4 because it contributes to the result of 4, and it can go into 4 without leaving a remainder, it can divide four evenly without leaving a remainder. When we break down a number into it's factors, as we just did above, this is known as factorisation. Factorisation is the breaking down of a number or algebraic expression into it's factors, expressing the number or expression as a product of it's factors. Given the expression 5a^2+ 25a, we are told to factorise it, to express it as a product of it's factors. |
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