Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
SEC 1 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS
U NIT 1: P RIMES , H IGHEST C OMMON F ACTOR AND L OWEST C OMMON M ULTIPLE
1.1 P RIME N UMBERS AND C OMPOSITE N UMBERS
1.1 C ONCEPTUAL B RIDGING OF P RIME N UMBERS
A Prime Number is a whole number that has exactly 2 different factors, 1 and itself.
A Composite is a whole number that has more than 2 different factors.
S IEVE OF E RATOSTHENES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.1.1 W ORKED E XAMPLE (T EST FOR P RIME N UMBERS )
Determine whether each of the following is a prime number or composite number
(a) 17 (b) 67 (c) 357 (d) 449 (e) 547
1.1.1 P RACTICE N OW
Q UESTION 1
Determine whether each of the following is a prime or a composite number.
(a) 253 (b) 311 (c) 447 (d) 409 (e) 509
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.1.2 W ORKED E XAMPLE (P ROBLEM I NVOLVING A P RIME N UMBER )
If p , q and r are whole numbers such that p q r = 34 . Given that r is an even number, find the value of
p + q . Explain your answer.
1.1.2 P RACTICE N OW
Q UESTION 1
If k and m are whole numbers such that k m = 47 , find the value of k + m . Explain your answer.
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
Q UESTION 2
If p , q and r are whole numbers such that p q r = 142 . Given that r is an even number, find the value of
p + q . Explain your answer.
1.2 P RIME F ACTORISATION AND I TS A PPLICATIONS
1.2.1 W ORKED E XAMPLE (W HY AND H OW DO WE P RIME F ACTORISE ?)
(i) Find the prime factorisation of 54 , leaving your answer in index notation
(ii) Find the prime factorisation of 15400 , leaving your answer in index notation.
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.2.1 P RACTICE N OW
Q UESTION 1
Find the prime factorisations of the following numbers, leaving your answer in index notation.
(i) 1200 (ii) 6120 (iii) 163350
1.2.2 W ORKED E XAMPLE (F INDING THE S QUARE AND C UBE R OOTS USING P RIME
F ACTORISATION )
(i) Find 627264 by using prime factorisation.
(ii) Find 3
250047 using prime factorisation.
(iii) Find 15376 using primes factorisation.
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.2.3 W ORKED E XAMPLE (E XPLANATION OF P ERFECT S QUARES AND C UBES )
(i) Use prime factors to explain why 6 96 is a perfect square.
(ii) What is the greatest perfect square that is a factor of 9450 ?
(iii) What is the smallest and greatest perfect cube that is a factor of 55566 ?
1.2.4 W ORKED E XAMPLE (C HANGING A NUMBER TO A P ERFECT C UBE )
(i) Find the smallest possible integer k such that 7920k is a cube number.
(ii) Find the smallest possible integer k such that 8400k is a cube number.
(iii) What is the greatest perfect cube that is a factor of 124416 ?
(iv) Find the smallest value of n such that 800n is both a perfect square and a perfect cube.
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.2.5 W ORKED E XAMPLE (H IGHER O RDER T HINKING Q UESTIONS )
(i) Find the smallest positive integer n for which 136n is a whole number.
(ii) Find the smallest positive integer k for which 240k is a multiple of 7056 .
(iii) When 180 is multiplied by a whole number k , the product is a perfect cube. Suggest two possible
values of k .
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math
Mini Course – Sec 1 Elementary Mathematics
1.2 E XERCISE
Q UESTION 1
Expressed as the product of its prime factors, 240 = 24 3 5 .
(a) Express 7056 as a product of prime factors.
(b) Use your answer in (a) to find the positive square root of 7056 , leaving your answer in index notation.
(c) Find the smallest positive integer k for which 240k is a multiple of 7056 .
(d) Find the smallest positive integer n for which 240n is a whole number.
Q UESTION 2
The numbers 54 and 468 , written as the product of their prime factors, are 54 = 2 33 and 486 = 22 32 13 .
Find
(a) the smallest integer, m such that 468m is a perfect square,
(b) the largest integer, which is a factor of both 54 and 468 ,
(c) the smallest positive integer, n such that 54n is a multiple of 468 .
Q UESTION 3
The dimensions of a rectangle are (2 2 52 7) cm by (52 73 ) cm.
(a) Find the area of the rectangle. Express your answer in prime factorization form.
(b) Given that a square has the same area as the rectangle in part (a). Find the length of the square side.
Q UESTION 4
A 2 -digit prime number is less than 50 and the product of its digits is 12 . What is the number?
Q UESTION 5
Written as the product of its prime factors 1800 = 23 32 52 .
(a) Express 588 as the product of its prime factors.
(b) Write down the smallest integer, k , such that 1800k is a perfect cube.
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O Level Sec 1/ IP Level E. Math