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Question

Consider the number N = 12 6× 3 8× 5 3. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The number of odd factors of N is 60.

2. The number of even factors of N is 720.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2022 English Previous Year Paper (10-April-2022)
The correct answer is Both 1 and 2

Understanding the Problem: Finding Factors of a Number

The question asks us to determine the correctness of two statements about the factors of a given number, N. The number is expressed in a specific form: N = \(12^6 \times 3^8 \times 5^3\). We need to calculate the number of odd factors and the number of even factors of N and compare them with the values given in the statements.

Step-by-Step Solution: Calculating Factors of N

Prime Factorization of N

First, we need to express the number N in its prime factorization form. This means breaking down the base of each term into its prime components.

N = \(12^6 \times 3^8 \times 5^3\)

We know that \(12 = 4 \times 3 = 2^2 \times 3\). Substituting this into the expression for N:

N = \((2^2 \times 3)^6 \times 3^8 \times 5^3\)

Using the exponent rule \((a \times b)^m = a^m \times b^m\) and \((a^m)^n = a^{m \times n}\):

N = \((2^2)^6 \times 3^6 \times 3^8 \times 5^3\)

N = \(2^{12} \times 3^6 \times 3^8 \times 5^3\)

Using the exponent rule \(a^m \times a^n = a^{m+n}\):

N = \(2^{12} \times 3^{(6+8)} \times 5^3\)

N = \(2^{12} \times 3^{14} \times 5^3\)

So, the prime factorization of N is \(2^{12} \times 3^{14} \times 5^3\). A factor of N will be of the form \(2^a \times 3^b \times 5^c\), where \(0 \le a \le 12\), \(0 \le b \le 14\), and \(0 \le c \le 3\).

Calculating the Number of Odd Factors

An odd factor is a factor that is not divisible by 2. In the prime factorization of a number, an odd factor will not have any power of 2 in its prime factorization. Therefore, to find the number of odd factors of N = \(2^{12} \times 3^{14} \times 5^3\), we must set the exponent of 2 to 0.

An odd factor of N is of the form \(2^a \times 3^b \times 5^c\), where the power of 2 is \(a=0\). The possible values for the exponents 'b' and 'c' are:

  • For the prime factor 3, the exponent 'b' can take any value from 0 to 14 (i.e., 0, 1, 2, ..., 14). The number of choices for 'b' is \(14+1 = 15\).
  • For the prime factor 5, the exponent 'c' can take any value from 0 to 3 (i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3). The number of choices for 'c' is \(3+1 = 4\).

The number of odd factors is the product of the number of choices for the exponents of the odd prime factors:

Number of odd factors = (Number of choices for 'b') \(\times\) (Number of choices for 'c')

Number of odd factors = \(15 \times 4 = 60\).

Statement 1 says the number of odd factors of N is 60. Our calculation shows this is correct.

Calculating the Number of Even Factors

An even factor is a factor that is divisible by 2. In the prime factorization of a number, an even factor must have at least one power of 2. For N = \(2^{12} \times 3^{14} \times 5^3\), an even factor is of the form \(2^a \times 3^b \times 5^c\), where the power of 2, 'a', must be at least 1.

The possible values for the exponents 'a', 'b', and 'c' are:

  • For the prime factor 2, the exponent 'a' can take any value from 1 to 12 (i.e., 1, 2, ..., 12). The number of choices for 'a' is \(12 - 1 + 1 = 12\). (We exclude \(2^0\) because that would result in an odd factor).
  • For the prime factor 3, the exponent 'b' can take any value from 0 to 14 (i.e., 0, 1, 2, ..., 14). The number of choices for 'b' is \(14+1 = 15\).
  • For the prime factor 5, the exponent 'c' can take any value from 0 to 3 (i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3). The number of choices for 'c' is \(3+1 = 4\).

The number of even factors is the product of the number of choices for each exponent:

Number of even factors = (Number of choices for 'a') \(\times\) (Number of choices for 'b') \(\times\) (Number of choices for 'c')

Number of even factors = \(12 \times 15 \times 4 = 12 \times 60 = 720\).

Statement 2 says the number of even factors of N is 720. Our calculation shows this is correct.

Alternatively, the total number of factors of N is \((12+1)(14+1)(3+1) = 13 \times 15 \times 4 = 13 \times 60 = 780\). The total number of factors is the sum of odd factors and even factors. So, Number of even factors = Total factors - Number of odd factors = \(780 - 60 = 720\). This confirms our previous calculation.

Verification of Statements

Statement 1: The number of odd factors of N is 60. Based on our calculation, this statement is correct.

Statement 2: The number of even factors of N is 720. Based on our calculation, this statement is correct.

Since both statements are correct, the correct option is "Both 1 and 2".

Revision Table: Understanding Factors

Concept Description How to Calculate for \(p_1^{a_1} p_2^{a_2} \dots\)
Prime Factorization Expressing a number as a product of its prime numbers raised to certain powers. Break down the number until all bases are prime.
Total Number of Factors The count of all positive integers that divide the number evenly. \((a_1+1)(a_2+1)\dots(a_k+1)\)
Number of Odd Factors The count of factors that are not divisible by 2. Ignore the power of 2. Calculate factors from only odd prime factors: \((a_2+1)(a_3+1)\dots\) (assuming \(p_1=2\))
Number of Even Factors The count of factors that are divisible by 2. Total Factors - Number of Odd Factors, OR (power of 2) \(\times\) (factors from odd primes) i.e., \(a_1 \times (a_2+1)(a_3+1)\dots\)

Additional Information: Properties of Factors

Factors play an important role in number theory. Understanding how to find the number of factors, including classifying them as odd or even, is a common type of problem in competitive exams. The method relies entirely on the prime factorization of the number. If a number has no prime factor of 2 (i.e., it's an odd number), then all its factors are odd. An even number will always have both odd and even factors (unless it's a power of 2, in which case it only has even factors except for 1, which is odd - but usually, problems consider factors > 1 in certain contexts, though here total factors are considered). The number of factors formula is a direct result of how combinations of prime powers form unique factors.

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Important Questions from Multiples and Factors

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