Factors of 3 | Factor Tree of 3
Today we are going to present here Factor Tree of 3. The factor is the number that divides the original number. The factors of 3 are 1 and 3 itself.

What are the factors of 3?
We want to find all the whole numbers that can divide 3 without leaving any remainder.
Here's how we can systematically find the factors of 3:
Does 1 divide into 3 evenly?
Yes, 3 ÷ 1 = 3.
So, 1 is a factor of 3. (Every whole number has 1 as a factor).
Let's try the next whole number 2:
Does 2 divide into 3 evenly?
No, 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5. This is not a whole number.
So, 2 is not a factor of 3.
Than try the number itself 3:
Does 3 divide into 3 evenly?
Yes, 3 ÷ 3 = 1.
So, 3 is a factor of 3. (Every whole number is a factor of itself).
We don't need to check numbers larger than 3. Any number greater than 3 (like 4, 5, etc.) will result in a fraction or decimal when dividing 3 (e.g., 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75), to and thus cannot be a factor.
By following these steps, we've identified all the whole numbers that divide evenly into 3.
Therefore, all the factors of 3 are 1 and 3.
Prime Factorization of 3
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that has only two factors, 1 and the number itself.
It is useful to finding the greatest common factor (GCF) and the least common multiple (LCM) for adding or subtracting fractions.
Is 3 a prime number?
Yes, it is.
The positive factors of 3
Let's talk with some questions...
Can 3 be divided evenly by 1?
Yes, 3 ÷ 1 = 3. So, 1 is a factor.
Can 3 be divided evenly by 2?
No, 3 ÷ 2 = 1 with a remainder of 1. So, 2 is not a factor.
Can 3 be divided evenly by 3?
Yes, 3 ÷ 3 = 1. So, 3 is a factor.
N.B. Any numbers larger than 3 cannot be factors (without resulting in a fraction).
So, the only positive factors of 3 are 1 and 3.
Since 3 is a whole number greater than 1 and has exactly two distinct factors (1 and itself), 3 is a prime number.
When we perform prime factorization, we typically try to divide the number by the smallest possible prime numbers (2, 3, 5, 7, etc.) until we are left with only prime factors.