MGMAT Number properties - chap4 Q 11

by **unique** Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:09 am

What are the 6 factors of the product of 5 consecutive even integers?

Answer given - 1,2,4,8,16,32

Should'nt the problem state +ve integers or int > 0 bcos even 0 is an EVEN integer. In that case the above answer is invalid.

Did I miss something?

by **StaceyKoprince** Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:42 pm

Technically, it still works even if one of the integers is zero. The product would then be zero. Zero is evenly divisible by every number except for zero. Therefore, technically, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 are factors of zero.

Notice that this question is not a GMAT-format question; it's just a straightforward math theory question, similar to one you'd see in a math textbook. Regular math questions aren't trying to trick you in the way that GMAT questions are. Rather, they're just trying to teach you theory. :)

Also, just FYI, the actual question does not say "what are THE six factors" but just "what are six factors." The idea is that there are only certain things that we can definitely say are factors no matter what. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 are definitely factors regardless of what the numbers are. Other numbers may also be factors; we don't know.