The term "factors" in mathematics refers to what?

• A. Numerical products
• B. Whole numbers that can be multiplied
• C. Whole numbers including zero
• D. Numbers that divide evenly into another number

Answer: (D)

The term "factors" in mathematics refers specifically to numbers that divide evenly into another number. When you say that a number is a factor of another number, it means that when you divide the larger number by that factor, there is no remainder. For example, 3 is a factor of 12 because 12 divided by 3 equals 4, which is a whole number with no remainder.

Understanding factors is essential in many areas of mathematics, such as simplifying fractions, finding greatest common divisors, and solving equations. The focus on even division helps clarify how numbers relate to one another in terms of multiplication and division.

The other options, while they contain elements related to factors, do not capture the full definition. Numerical products refer to the result of multiplying numbers, whole numbers that can be multiplied describes a broader category of numbers, and whole numbers including zero introduces confusion since zero is not a factor of any number except itself. Thus, the most accurate description is indeed that factors are the numbers that can divide another number without leaving a remainder.