what is a factor in math

In mathematics, a factor of a number is a positive integer that divides the number exactly, leaving no remainder. It is a number that can be multiplied by another number to reach a desired number. When studying factors of a number, only positive integers are considered, and a factor cannot be a fraction, a decimal, or 0. To check if a number is a factor of another number, simply divide the latter by the former, and if the remainder is 0, then it is a factor. Prime factors are factors that are also prime numbers. The prime factorization of a number is a factorization consisting only of prime numbers. Factors can be used to express a number as a product of other whole numbers. For example, the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12, and the prime factorization of 12 is 2 x 2 x 3