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How to Make Factor Triangles

Factor triangles are guides that can help students understand the interaction between various factors. For example, it can help them memorize the factors of 15, which are 3 and 5. Factor triangles can also help students understand how such factors interact, such as when 3 and 5 multiply to produce 15. Again, 15 can also be divided by either of these numbers to end up with the other number: 15 divided by 3 equals 5. Making factor triangles is a process you and your students can do together in class.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Paper clip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw several triangles on a piece of paper using a ruler. Make sure they are all roughly the same size so that they can be stacked like a deck of cards. Draw them butting up against each other to save room on your paper.

    • 2

      Write your factors on the inside of each point in each triangle. For example, write 20 in one tip and 5 and 4 in the others.

    • 3

      Place the multiplication and division symbols in the correct spot on the triangle between the numbers. For example, you would place a multiplication symbol between the 5 and the 4 to indicate that these factors produce 20 when multiplied. Draw division symbols on the triangle between the 20 and the 5 and the 20 and the 4.

    • 4

      Make multiple triangles for numbers that have multiple factors, such as 20, which has the factors 2, 4, 5, and 10. Use the same process described above to complete each triangle.

    • 5

      Cut out your triangles using scissors. Stack them together and clip them together with a paper clip to store them together.

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