The factors of a number like 96 can be most easily found through division. Each number (or divisor) divided by 96 that creates an integer quotient is a factor of 96, as is the quotient.96/1 = 96, so 1 and 96 are factors;96/2 = 48, so 2 and 48 are factors;96/3 = 32, so 3 and 32 are factors;96/4 = 24, so 4 and 24 are factors;94/6 = 16, so 6 and 16 are factors;94/8 = 12, so 8 and 12 are factors.The other numbers in between 1 and 12 (5, 7, 9, 10, 11) could not be perfectly divided. There is no need to test number 12 and above.Prime factorization splits a number into its prime number factors. For 96, the only prime factors are 2 and 3, but five factors of 2 must be multiplied by 3. For example, 2*2*2*2*2*3 = 96, which can also be expressed as (2^5)*3 = 96, or 32*3 = 96.Factors and multiples are closely associated because the larger number is one multiple of each of its factors. Factoring would help a person find the greatest common factor or least common multiple of 96 and another number.
