Last updated on May 26th, 2025
Factors are the numbers that divide any given number evenly without remainder. In daily life, we use factors for tasks like sharing items equally, arranging things, etc. In this topic, we will learn about the factors of -15, how they are used in real life, and the tips to learn them quickly.
The numbers that divide -15 evenly are known as factors of -15.
A factor of -15 is a number that divides the number without a remainder.
The factors of -15 are 1, 3, 5, and 15.
Negative factors of -15: -1, -3, -5, and -15.
Prime factors of -15: 3 and 5.
Prime factorization of 15: 3 × 5.
The sum of factors of 15: 1 + 3 + 5 + 15 = 24
Factors can be found using different methods. Mentioned below are some commonly used methods:
To find factors using multiplication, we need to identify the pairs of numbers that are multiplied to give -15. Identifying the numbers which are multiplied to get the number -15 is the multiplication method.
Step 1: Multiply -15 by 1, -15 × 1 = -15.
Step 2: Check for other numbers that give -15 after multiplying
3 × -5 = -15
-3 × 5 = -15
Therefore, the positive factor pairs of -15 are: (1, -15), (3, -5), and (-3, 5).
All these factor pairs result in -15. For every positive factor, there is a negative factor.
Dividing the given numbers with the whole numbers until the remainder becomes zero and listing out the numbers which result as whole numbers as factors. Factors can be calculated by following a simple division method
Step 1: Divide -15 by 1, -15 ÷ 1 = -15.
Step 2: Continue dividing -15 by the numbers until the remainder becomes 0.
-15 ÷ 1 = -15
-15 ÷ 3 = -5
-15 ÷ 5 = -3
Therefore, the factors of -15 are: 1, 3, 5, 15.
The factors can be found by dividing it with a prime number. We can find the prime factors using the following methods:
Using Prime Factorization: In this process, prime factors of 15 divide the number to break it down in the multiplication form of prime factors till the remainder becomes 1.
15 ÷ 3 = 5
5 ÷ 5 = 1
The prime factors of 15 are 3 and 5.
The prime factorization of 15 is: 3 × 5.
The factor tree is the graphical representation of breaking down any number into prime factors. The following step shows
Step 1: Firstly, 15 is divided by 3 to get 5.
Step 2: Now divide 5 by 5 to get 1. Here, 5 is the smallest prime number, that cannot be divided anymore.
So, the prime factorization of 15 is: 3 × 5.
Factor Pairs: Two numbers that are multiplied to give a specific number are called factor pairs. Both positive and negative factors constitute factor pairs.
Positive factor pairs of -15: (1, -15), (3, -5).
Negative factor pairs of -15: (-1, 15), (-3, 5).
Mistakes are common while finding factors. We can identify and correct those mistakes using the following common mistakes and the ways to avoid them.
A company has 3 teams and -15 projects. How many projects will each team handle if distributed equally?
Each team will handle -5 projects.
To distribute the projects equally, we need to divide the total projects by the number of teams.
-15/3 = -5
A library has -15 new books and 5 shelves. How many books will each shelf get if distributed equally?
Each shelf will have -3 books.
To find the number of books per shelf, divide the total books by the number of shelves.
-15/5 = -3
A coach has 15 balls and 3 sports bags. How many balls will each bag contain if they are distributed equally?
Each bag will contain 5 balls.
To find the balls in each bag, divide the total balls by the number of bags.
15/3 = 5
A baker has 15 kilograms of flour and 5 containers. How much flour will each container have if distributed equally?
Each container will have 3 kilograms of flour.
To find the flour in each container, divide the total flour by the number of containers.
15/5 = 3
A gardener has -15 plants and 3 pots. How many plants will be in each pot if distributed equally?
Each pot will have -5 plants.
Divide the total plants by the number of pots.
-15/3 = -5
Hiralee Lalitkumar Makwana has almost two years of teaching experience. She is a number ninja as she loves numbers. Her interest in numbers can be seen in the way she cracks math puzzles and hidden patterns.
: She loves to read number jokes and games.