Week 1 Mathematics Worksheet
Topic: Factors, Multiples, HCF (GCF) & LCM
Objective: By the end of this lesson Martin will be able to find factors and multiples, carry
out prime factorisation, and find the Highest Common Factor (HCF/GCF) and Least Common
Multiple (LCM) of numbers.
A. Quick Notes (What you need to know)
Factor: A number that divides another number exactly (no remainder). Example: 3 is a
factor of 12 because 12 ÷ 3 = 4 exactly.
Multiple: The result of multiplying a number by an integer. Example: 12 is a multiple of
3 because 3 × 4 = 12.
Prime number: A number with exactly two distinct positive factors: 1 and itself (e.g., 2,
3, 5, 7, 11).
Composite number: A number with more than two factors (e.g., 4, 6, 8, 9).
Prime factorisation: Writing a number as a product of prime numbers (e.g., 60 = 2 × 2 ×
3 × 5 = 2² × 3 × 5).
HCF (Highest Common Factor) / GCF: The largest factor common to two or more
numbers.
LCM (Least Common Multiple): The smallest number (other than 0) which is a multiple
of two or more numbers.
Useful methods:
- Find HCF using prime factorisation and taking the common primes with the smallest
powers.
- Find LCM using prime factorisation and taking every prime with the largest power; or use
the formula for two numbers: LCM(a, b) = (a × b) ÷ HCF(a, b).
B. Worked Lesson Examples
Example 1 — Finding factors & prime factorisation
Find the factors of 24 and write its prime factorisation.
Step 1 — List factor pairs:
1 × 24 = 24 → factors 1 and 24
2 × 12 = 24 → factors 2 and 12
3 × 8 = 24 → factors 3 and 8
4 × 6 = 24 → factors 4 and 6
So factors of 24 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24.
Step 2 — Prime factorisation:
24 ÷ 2 = 12 → 2 × 12
12 ÷ 2 = 6 → 2 × 2 × 6
6÷2=3→2×2×2×3
So 24 = 2³ × 3.
Example 2 — HCF and LCM using prime factorisation
Find HCF and LCM of 36 and 48.
36 = 2² × 3²
48 = 2⁴ × 3¹
HCF = 2² × 3¹ = 12
LCM = 2⁴ × 3² = 144
C. Guided Practice
1. List the factors of 24.
2. Prime factorise 60.
3. Find the HCF of 12 and 18.
4. Find the LCM of 4 and 6.
5. Find the HCF of 12, 18 and 30.
6. Find the LCM of 3, 6 and 9.
D. Independent Practice
1. List all factors of 45.
2. Prime factorise 84.
3. Find HCF of 20 and 30.
4. Find LCM of 8 and 12.
5. Find HCF of 24 and 32.
6. Find LCM of 15 and 20.
7. Word problem: There are 18 boys and 24 girls. They must be put into equal groups with
the same number of children and no one left out. What is the greatest number of groups that
can be made?
8. Word problem: Two buses come to a stop every 15 minutes and every 20 minutes
respectively. If they arrive together at 9:00 am, after how many minutes will they next
arrive together?
9. Find HCF and LCM of 9 and 12.
10. Find the LCM of 5, 10, 15.
E. Extension / Challenge
1. Find the HCF and LCM of 36, 48 and 60.
2. Prove that for two numbers a and b: LCM(a, b) × HCF(a, b) = a × b by using an example.
F. Homework
Complete Independent Practice questions 1–10 (show full working).
Write 2 short sentences explaining when you would use HCF in a real-life situation and
when you would use LCM.
G. Answer Key
Guided Practice:
1. Factors of 24: 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24
2. 60 = 2² × 3 × 5
3. HCF(12,18)=6
4. LCM(4,6)=12
5. HCF(12,18,30)=6
6. LCM(3,6,9)=18
Independent Practice:
1. 45: 1,3,5,9,15,45
2. 84=2²×3×7
3. HCF(20,30)=10
4. LCM(8,12)=24
5. HCF(24,32)=8
6. LCM(15,20)=60
7. Groups =6
8. Next bus=60 minutes
9. HCF=3, LCM=36
10. LCM=30
Extension:
1. HCF(36,48,60)=12, LCM=720
2. Example: 36 and 48 → HCF=12, LCM=144, 12×144=1728=36×48