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 -8, how they are used in real life, and the tips to learn them quickly.
The numbers that divide -8 evenly are known as factors of -8.
A factor of -8 is a number that divides the number without remainder.
The factors of -8 are 1, 2, 4, and 8.
Negative factors of -8: -1, -2, -4, and -8.
Prime factors of -8: 2.
Prime factorization of -8: -1 × 2³.
The sum of factors of -8: 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15
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 -8. Identifying the numbers which are multiplied to get the number -8 is the multiplication method.
Step 1: Multiply -8 by 1, -8 × 1 = -8.
Step 2: Check for other numbers that give -8 after multiplying
-1 × 8 = -8
-2 × 4 = -8
Therefore, the positive factor pairs of -8 are: (1, -8), (2, -4).
All these factor pairs result in -8. For every positive factor, there is a negative factor.
Dividing the given numbers with 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 -8 by 1, -8 ÷ 1 = -8.
Step 2: Continue dividing -8 by the numbers until the remainder becomes 0.
-8 ÷ 1 = -8
-8 ÷ 2 = -4
-8 ÷ 4 = -2
-8 ÷ 8 = -1
Therefore, the factors of -8 are: 1, 2, 4, 8.
The factors can be found by dividing it with prime numbers. We can find the prime factors using the following methods:
Using Prime Factorization: In this process, prime factors of -8 divide the number to break it down in the multiplication form of prime factors till the remainder becomes 1.
-8 ÷ 2 = -4
-4 ÷ 2 = -2
-2 ÷ 2 = -1
The prime factor of -8 is 2.
The prime factorization of -8 is: -1 × 2³.
The factor tree is the graphical representation of breaking down any number into prime factors. The following step shows
Step 1: Firstly, -8 is divided by 2 to get -4.
Step 2: Now divide -4 by 2 to get -2.
Step 3: Divide -2 by 2 to get -1. Here, -1 is the negative number that finalizes the factorization.
So, the prime factorization of -8 is: -1 × 2³.
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 -8: (1, -8), (2, -4).
Negative factor pairs of -8: (-1, 8), (-2, 4).
Mistakes are common while finding factors. We can identify and correct those mistakes using the following common mistakes and the ways to avoid them.
There are 8 apples and -8 people. How will they divide it equally using the factor concept?
Each person will get 1 apple.
To divide the apples equally, we need to divide the total apples with the number of people.
8/8 = 1
A chocolate bar is cut into 8 pieces, and -8 degrees is the temperature. If each piece is a factor of -8, how many pieces are there?
Each piece represents 1.
Since -8 is divided into 8 pieces, each piece represents a factor of 1.
-8/8 = -1
A road is 4 meters wide, and -8 is the temperature. How many lanes can the road have if each lane is a factor of -8?
2 lanes.
To find how many lanes can fit, use the factor of -8: 4. -8/4 = -2
There are 2 trees planted in a row, and -8 birds. How many birds per tree if birds are split using factors of -8?
4 birds per tree.
Distribute the birds using the factor 4.
-8/2 = -4
-8 marbles are placed into 4 boxes. How many marbles will go in each box?
Each box has 2 marbles.
Divide total marbles with boxes.
-8/4 = -2
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.