how many branches in a tree diagram if the factor is 240

Question

Hope used a factor tree to factor the number 240. How many branches will be at the bottom of this factor tree?

Answer 1

There will be 6 branches (twigs).

There are many ways to make a tree. All lead to the same result.

Here's one. Start with 240=24×10, so at the top of the tree we have 240, branching out into factors 24 and 10.

Take the 10 first, which splits into 2 and 5 because 2×5=10. That gives us 2 branches: 2 and 5

Next take 24 and split it into factors 3 and 8. 3 gives us another branch. Now we have 3 branches: 2, 3, 5.

8 splits into 4 and 2. 2 gives us another branch, making 4 branches: 2, 2, 3, 5.

4 splits into 2 more branches: 2 and 2, so we have 6 branches: 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5.

2×2×2×2×3×5=240.