Multiple

What is a multiple? Multiples are the numbers you get by adding a specific number to itself over and over again. For example, the multiples of 4 are 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on, because you keep adding 4 each time.

Multiplication is a speedy way of finding these multiples. For example, if you’re looking for the multiples of 3, you can use multiplication like this:

• 3 x 1 = 3
• 3 x 2 = 6
• 3 x 3 = 9
• 3 x 4 = 12
• 3 x 5 = 15

Here, each multiplication gives you the next multiple of 3. So, instead of saying 3 + 3 + 3 + 3, we can use multiplication (3 x 4) to get 12.

So, in a way, multiplication helps us find multiples faster and with less counting!

To find out if a number is a multiple of another, check its factors. Sometimes, identifying just one factor is enough to confirm its multiplicity.

Examples:

1. Consider the number 15. To see if it’s a multiple of 5, find that 5 is a factor of 15 (5 times 3 equals 15).
2. Take the number 18. If you want to know if it’s a multiple of 6, find that 6 is a factor of 18 (6 times 3 equals 18).
3. Let’s look at the number 24. To check if it’s a multiple of 8, find that 8 is a factor of 24 (8 times 3 equals 24).

In each example, identifying just one factor was enough to determine that the number is a multiple.

Is 96 a multiple of 4?

84 is a multiple of what numbers?

What are all of the multiples of 8 between 8 and 100?

---

Practice Problems

Related Math Lessons

• 4th Grade Factors, Multiples, Prime & Composite Numbers