Prime Factors

What are prime factors?

●​ A factor of a given number is a value that divides the given number exactly, with no
remainder
➔​ e.g. 6 is a factor of 18
●​ A prime number is a number which has exactly two factors; itself and 1
➔​ e.g. 5 is a prime number, as its only factors are 5 and 1
➔​ You should remember the first few prime numbers:
■​ 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, …
●​ The prime factors of a number are therefore all the primes which multiply to give that
number
➔​ e.g. The prime factors of 30 are 2, 3, and 5
■​ 2 × 3 × 5 = 30

How do I find prime factors?

●​ Use a factor tree to find prime factors
➔​ Split the number up into a pair of factors
➔​ Then split each of those factors up into another pair
➔​ Continue splitting up factors along each "branch" until you get to a prime
number
■​ These can not be split into anything other than 1 and themselves
■​ It helps to circle the prime numbers at the end of the branches
Worked Example
●​ Write 432 as the product of its prime factors.
●​ Create a factor tree​

Start with 432 and choose any two numbers that multiply together to make 432

Repeat this for the two factors, until all of the values are prime numbers and cannot be
broken down any further

The answer will be the same regardless of the factors chosen in the first step

Write the prime numbers out as a product

Any repeated prime factors can be written as a power
 Fractions
Adding & Subtracting Fractions
How do I add or subtract two fractions?
●​ Addition and subtraction are treated in exactly the same way when dealing with
fractions
➔​ Find the lowest common denominator
➔​ Write each fraction as an equivalent fraction over this denominator
➔​ Add (or subtract) the numerators and write this over a single denominator
■​ Do not add the denominators
➔​ Simplify the fraction by cancelling common factors

What do I do if any of the fractions are mixed numbers?

●​ Convert any mixed numbers into improper fractions
➔​ Add or subtract the fractions as usual
➔​ Remember to convert the answer back to a mixed number if required

Worked Example

(a) Find

●​ Find the lowest common denominator of 3 and 5​

15 is the smallest number that can be divided by both 3 and 5

The lowest common denominator is 15

●​ Write both fractions as equivalent fractions with a common denominator of 15​

Multiply the numerator and denominator of the first fraction by 5​
Multiply the numerator and denominator of the second fraction by 3
 ●​ Add the numerators and write over a single denominator

●​ There are no common factors that will cancel

Worked Example

●​ Change the mixed number into an improper fraction

●​ Multiply the denominator by the whole part and add to the numerator​
Write this value over the denominator

●​ Find the lowest common denominator of 4 and 8​

8 is the smallest number that by divided by both 4 and 8​
The lowest common denominator is 8
●​ Write both fractions as equivalent fractions over 8​
Multiply the numerator and denominator of the first fraction by 2

●​ Subtract the numerators and write over a single denominator

●​ Change into a mixed number​

Divide 25 by 8 to get 3 remainder 1
Multiplying Fractions
How do I multiply two fractions?
●​ Cancel any factors that are common to both the numerator and the denominator
➔​ The common factors could be in either of the fractions
Multiply
➔​ Multiply the numerators
➔​ Multiply the denominators

●​ Cancel any common factors again if possible

How do I multiply two fractions if one is a mixed number?

●​ Always convert mixed numbers into improper fractions before multiplying
➔​ Convert improper fractions back into mixed numbers at the end if required

Worked Example

●​ The 15 and 25 can be cancelled before multiplying

●​ Multiply the numerators together and the denominators together

●​ There is no further cancelling that can be done

●​ Write down the fraction

Dividing Fractions
How do I divide two fractions?
●​ Flip the second fraction and change ÷ into × ”
 ➔​ The 'flipped' fraction is called a reciprocal fraction
●​ Cancel any factors that are common to both the numerator and the denominator
●​ Multiply the fractions
➔​ Multiply the numerators
➔​ Multiply the denominators
●​ Cancel any common factors again if possible

How do I divide two fractions when one of them is a mixed number?

●​ Always convert mixed numbers into improper fractions before dividing
➔​ Convert improper fractions back into mixed numbers at the end if required

EXAM TIP: K.C.F - Keep, Change, Flip

Worked Example
 Recurring Decimals
What are recurring decimals?
●​ When writing a rational number as a decimal, it will either be:
➔​ A decimal that stops, called a "terminating" decimal

●​ Or a decimal that repeats with a pattern, called a "recurring" decimal

●​ The recurring part can be written with a dot above the digit that repeats
●​ If multiple digits repeat, dots are used on the first and last digits that repeat
➔​
➔​
➔​

How do I write recurring decimals as fractions?

●​ Write out the first few decimal places to show the recurring pattern and then:

Worked Example
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 Powers & Roots
What are powers (indices)?
●​ Powers (or indices) are the small 'floating' values that are used when a number is
multiplied by itself repeatedly
➔​ 61 means 6
➔​ 62 means 6 × 6
➔​ 63 means 6 × 6 × 6
●​ The big number at the bottom is called the base
●​ The small number that is raised is called the index, power, or exponent
●​ Any non-zero number to the power of 0 is equal to 1
➔​ 30 = 1
●​ Any number to the power of 1 is equal to itself
➔​ 31=3

What are square roots?

●​ Roots are the reverse of powers
●​ A square root of 25 is a number that when squared equals 25
➔​ The two square roots of 25 are 5 and -5
■​ 52 = 25 and (-5)2 = 25
●​ Every positive number has two square roots
➔​ One is positive and one is negative
➔​ Negative numbers do not have a square root

●​ The notation refers to the positive square root of a number

➔​
➔​ You can show both roots at once using the plus or minus symbol ±
➔​ Square roots of 25 are
What are cube roots?
●​ A cube root of 125 is a number that when cubed equals 125
➔​ The cube root of 125 is 5
■​ 53 = 125
➔​ Unlike square roots, each number only has one cube root
➔​ Every positive and negative number has a cube root

➔​ The notation refers to the cube root of a number

■​

Laws of Indices
What are the laws of indices?
●​ Index laws are rules you can use when doing operations with powers
➔​ They work with both numbers and algebra
How do I deal with different bases?
●​ Index laws only work with terms that have the same base
➔​ cannot be simplified using index laws
●​ Sometimes expressions involve different base values, but one is related to the other
by a power
➔​ e.g.
●​ You can use powers to rewrite one of the bases
➔​
➔​ This can then be simplified more easily, as the two bases are now the same
➔​

Worked Example
 Surds
What is a surd?
●​ A surd is the square root of a non-square integer
●​ Using surds lets you leave answers in exact form
➔​ e.g. rather than

How do I do calculations with surds?

●​ Multiplying surds
➔​ You can multiply numbers under square roots together

➔​
●​ Dividing surds
➔​ You can divide numbers under square roots

➔​
●​ Factorising surds
➔​ You can factorise numbers under square roots

➔​
●​ Adding or subtracting surds
➔​ You can only add or subtract multiples of “like” surds
■​ This is similar to collecting like terms when simplifying algebra

➔​
 ➔​

■​ However cannot be simplified

➔​ You cannot add or subtract numbers under square roots

➔​ Consider

■​ This is not equal to

Simplifying Surds
How do I simplify surds?
●​ To simplify a surd, factorise the number using a square number, if possible
➔​ If multiple square numbers are a factor, use the largest

●​ Use the fact that and then work out any square roots of square
numbers

➔​

When simplifying multiple surds, simplify each separately

➔​ This may produce surds which can then be collected together

You may have to expand double brackets containing surds

➔​ This can be done in the same way as multiplying out double brackets algebraically,
and then simplifying
➔​ The property can be used to simplify the expression, once expanded
 ➔​ E.g. expands to

Worked Example

Rationalising Denominators
What does rationalising the denominator mean?
●​ If a fraction has a denominator containing a surd then it has an irrational denominator

➔​ E.g. or
The fraction can be rewritten as an equivalent fraction, but with a rational denominator

➔​ E.g. or
Bounds
Pythagoras
SOHCAHTOA
Expanding Brackets
Factorising
​
Completing the square
Algebraic Fractions
Coordinate Geometry