Understanding prime numbers and how they relate to multiples can be tough for Year 7 students. Let’s break it down into easier parts.
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What Are Prime Numbers?
- Prime numbers are special numbers that are bigger than 1. They can only be divided evenly by 1 and themselves. This can be tricky because students often find it hard to spot prime numbers and tell them apart from composite numbers (which have more divisors). This makes it hard to do prime factorization, especially with bigger numbers.
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What Are Multiples?
- Multiples are what you get when you multiply a number. For example, the multiples of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, and so on. But when you bring prime numbers into the picture, things can get confusing.
- For example, to find the multiples of 12 (which are 12, 24, 36, ...), you can use its prime factors. The prime factors of 12 are 2, 2, and 3 (or 2 × 2 × 3). This connection can confuse students when they’re learning how to find multiples.
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How to Help Students:
- Teachers can make learning easier by using visual tools and hands-on activities, like drawing factor trees or playing prime factorization games. Helping students see how prime factors connect to multiples through practice can really help them understand better.
It’s important to help students get past these challenges. Doing so sets them up for success in math later on.