Compare the numbers of positive factors of \(48\) and \(60\). Which number has more positive factors? Justify your answer by listing all positive factors of both numbers.
Hints
- List and count all positive factors of \(48\).
- Repeat the process for \(60\).
- Compare the two counts.
- Use factor pairs so that you do not miss any factors.
Solution
1. The factor pairs of \(48\) are \((1, 48)\), \((2, 24)\), \((3, 16)\), \((4, 12)\), and \((6, 8)\). Thus its positive factors are \(\{1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48\}\), for a total of \(10\).
2. The factor pairs of \(60\) are \((1, 60)\), \((2, 30)\), \((3, 20)\), \((4, 15)\), \((5, 12)\), and \((6, 10)\). Thus its positive factors are \(\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60\}\), for a total of \(12\).
3. Since \(12>10\), the number \(60\) has more positive factors.
Answer
\(60\) has more positive factors.
The positive factors of \(48\) are \(\{1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48\}\), for a total of \(10\).
The positive factors of \(60\) are \(\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60\}\), for a total of \(12\).