Math Doubts

Factors of 2

Definition

A non-zero positive integer that divides $2$ exactly without leaving any remainder is called a factor of $2$.

What are the Factors of 2?

The factors of $2$ are $1$ and $2$.

Introduction to the Factors of 2

The number $2$ is a whole number and a positive integer. The non-zero positive integers $1$ and $2$ divide $2$ exactly without leaving any remainder. Therefore, $1$ and $2$ are called the factors of $2$ in mathematics.

factors of 2

How to Find the Factors of 2

Theoretically, we know that the factors of $2$ are $1$ and $2$. Now, let’s learn how to find the factors of $2$ mathematically.

Example

$2 \div 1$

The number $2$ is a whole number and a positive integer. Similarly, the number $1$ is also a whole number and a positive integer. Now, divide $2$ by $1$ to check whether there is any remainder.

$\require{enclose}
\begin{array}{rll}
2 && \hbox{} \\[-3pt]
1 \enclose{longdiv}{~2}\kern-.2ex \\[-3pt]
\underline{-~~~2} && \longrightarrow && \hbox{$1 \times 2 = 2$} \\[-3pt]
\phantom{00} 0 && \longrightarrow && \hbox{No Remainder}
\end{array}$

There is no remainder when the number $2$ is divided by $1$, which means that $1$ divides $2$ exactly. Therefore, $1$ is a factor of $2$.

Example

$2 \div 2$

The number $2$ is a whole number and a non-zero positive integer. Now, let us divide $2$ by itself to check whether there is any remainder.

$\require{enclose}
\begin{array}{rll}
1 && \hbox{} \\[-3pt]
2 \enclose{longdiv}{~2}\kern-.2ex \\[-3pt]
\underline{-~~~2} && \longrightarrow && \hbox{$2 \times 1 = 2$} \\[-3pt]
\phantom{00} 0 && \longrightarrow && \hbox{No Remainder}
\end{array}$

When the number $2$ is divided by itself, there is no remainder, which means that $2$ divides itself exactly. Therefore, the positive integer $2$ is a factor of itself.

The next positive integer after $2$ is $3$, but $3$ does not divide $2$ exactly because it is greater than $2$.

What are the Negative Factors of 2?

The positive factors of $2$ are $1$ and $2$, and the corresponding negative factors are $-1$ and $-2$.

What are the Factor Pairs of 2?

Now, let’s discuss both the positive and negative factor pairs of $2$.

  1. The positive factor pair of the number $2$ is $(1, 2)$.
  2. The negative factor pair of the number $2$ is $(-1, -2)$.

How to Factorize 2

The number $2$ can be written as a product of its factors using its factor pairs.

  1. $2$ $\,=\,$ $1 \times 2$
  2. $2$ $\,=\,$ $(-1) \times (-2)$