CBSE • Class 10Mathematics • Chapter 1 (Real Numbers) • Exercise 1.1

Exercise 1.1: Real Numbers — NCERT Solutions

Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic — finding HCF and LCM through prime factorisation.

Aligned to the latest NCERT 2024-25 edition • 7 questions in this exercise • Free plan, no credit card

What this exercise covers

Prime factorisationHCFLCMHCF × LCM = product of two numbers

Step-by-step solutions — Exercise 1.1

7 solved questions • Each solution includes a Socratic hint, full working and a common-mistake callout • Last reviewed 2026-09-03

Exercise 1.1 Q1 • 3 marks

Express each of the following numbers as a product of its prime factors: (i) 140 (ii) 156 (iii) 3825.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
Can you keep dividing the number by the smallest prime that goes into it until you reach 1?
Step-by-step solution

We use repeated division by the smallest primes.

(i) 140

140=2×70=2×2×35=2×2×5×7140 = 2 \times 70 = 2 \times 2 \times 35 = 2 \times 2 \times 5 \times 7

So 140=22×5×7140 = 2^2 \times 5 \times 7.

(ii) 156

156=2×78=2×2×39=2×2×3×13156 = 2 \times 78 = 2 \times 2 \times 39 = 2 \times 2 \times 3 \times 13

So 156=22×3×13156 = 2^2 \times 3 \times 13.

(iii) 3825

3825=3×1275=3×3×425=9×5×85=9×5×5×173825 = 3 \times 1275 = 3 \times 3 \times 425 = 9 \times 5 \times 85 = 9 \times 5 \times 5 \times 17

So 3825=32×52×173825 = 3^2 \times 5^2 \times 17.

Common mistake:
Leaving a composite number (like 39 or 35) in the final answer instead of breaking it fully into primes.
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Exercise 1.1 Q2 • 3 marks

Find the HCF and LCM of 96 and 404 by the prime factorisation method, and verify that HCF × LCM = product of the two numbers.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
For HCF take the lowest powers of common primes, and for LCM take the highest powers of all primes appearing — do the two multiply back to give 96 × 404?
Step-by-step solution

Prime factorisation:

96=25×396 = 2^5 \times 3

404=22×101404 = 2^2 \times 101

HCF = product of lowest powers of common primes =22=4= 2^2 = 4.

LCM = product of highest powers of all primes =25×3×101=32×303=9696= 2^5 \times 3 \times 101 = 32 \times 303 = 9696.

Verification:

HCF×LCM=4×9696=38784\text{HCF} \times \text{LCM} = 4 \times 9696 = 38784

96×404=3878496 \times 404 = 38784

Since both are equal, the result is verified.

Common mistake:
Using the highest powers for HCF or the lowest powers for LCM — the rules are the other way round.
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Exercise 1.1 Q3 • 2 marks

Given that the HCF of 306 and 657 is 9, find their LCM.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
Is there a relation connecting HCF, LCM and the product of two numbers that saves you from full factorisation?
Step-by-step solution

We use the identity for any two positive integers aa and bb:

HCF(a,b)×LCM(a,b)=a×b\text{HCF}(a,b) \times \text{LCM}(a,b) = a \times b

Here a=306a = 306, b=657b = 657, HCF =9= 9.

LCM=a×bHCF=306×6579\text{LCM} = \frac{a \times b}{\text{HCF}} = \frac{306 \times 657}{9}

=2010429=22338= \frac{201042}{9} = 22338

So the LCM of 306 and 657 is 2233822338.

Common mistake:
Dividing by the wrong quantity — students sometimes compute (a × b) × HCF instead of dividing by the HCF.
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Exercise 1.1 Q4 • 2 marks

Check whether 6n6^n can end with the digit 0 for any natural number nn.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
A number ends in 0 only if 10 divides it — what prime factors must such a number contain?
Step-by-step solution

If a number ends in the digit 00, it must be divisible by 1010, i.e. by 2×52 \times 5. So its prime factorisation must contain both 22 and 55.

Now consider 6n6^n:

6n=(2×3)n=2n×3n6^n = (2 \times 3)^n = 2^n \times 3^n

The only prime factors of 6n6^n are 22 and 33. There is no factor of 55.

By the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, the prime factorisation of a number is unique, so 55 can never appear in 6n6^n.

Therefore 6n6^n can never end with the digit 00 for any natural number nn.

Common mistake:
Checking only a few values of n and concluding, instead of giving a general argument using prime factors.
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Exercise 1.1 Q5 • 2 marks

Explain why 7×11×13+137 \times 11 \times 13 + 13 and 7×6×5×4×3×2×1+57 \times 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 5 are composite numbers.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
Can you take a common factor out of each expression to show it has a divisor other than 1 and itself?
Step-by-step solution

A composite number has at least one factor other than 1 and itself.

First number:

7×11×13+13=13(7×11+1)=13×(77+1)=13×787 \times 11 \times 13 + 13 = 13(7 \times 11 + 1) = 13 \times (77 + 1) = 13 \times 78

Since it is a product of 1313 and 7878 (both greater than 1), it is a composite number.

Second number:

7×6×5×4×3×2×1+5=5(7×6×4×3×2×1+1)7 \times 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 5 = 5(7 \times 6 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 1)

=5×(1008+1)=5×1009= 5 \times (1008 + 1) = 5 \times 1009

Since it is a product of 55 and 10091009 (both greater than 1), it too is a composite number.

Common mistake:
Failing to factor out the common term, so the student cannot show a proper divisor exists.
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Exercise 1.1 Q6 • 3 marks

Find the HCF and LCM of 12, 15 and 21 using the prime factorisation method.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
For three numbers, which primes are common to all three, and which appear at all?
Step-by-step solution

Prime factorisations:

12=22×312 = 2^2 \times 3

15=3×515 = 3 \times 5

21=3×721 = 3 \times 7

HCF = product of the lowest powers of primes common to all three.

The only prime common to all three is 33 (each has 313^1).

HCF=3\text{HCF} = 3

LCM = product of the highest powers of every prime that appears.

LCM=22×3×5×7=4×3×5×7=420\text{LCM} = 2^2 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 = 4 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 = 420

So HCF =3= 3 and LCM =420= 420.

Common mistake:
For three numbers, using the relation HCF × LCM = product of numbers — this identity holds only for two numbers, not three.
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Exercise 1.1 Q7 • 3 marks

Three bells toll at intervals of 9, 12 and 15 minutes respectively. If they all toll together at 8:00 a.m., at what time will they next toll together?
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
After how many minutes will all three intervals fit together exactly — is that the HCF or the LCM?
Step-by-step solution

The bells toll together again after a time that is a multiple of all three intervals, i.e. the LCM of 9, 12 and 15.

Prime factorisations:

9=329 = 3^2

12=22×312 = 2^2 \times 3

15=3×515 = 3 \times 5

LCM = highest powers of all primes

LCM=22×32×5=4×9×5=180 minutes\text{LCM} = 2^2 \times 3^2 \times 5 = 4 \times 9 \times 5 = 180 \text{ minutes}

180180 minutes =3= 3 hours.

Starting from 8:00 a.m., adding 3 hours gives 11:00 a.m.

So the bells will next toll together at 11:00 a.m.

Common mistake:
Finding the HCF instead of the LCM, since the question asks when events coincide again.
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How to approach Exercise 1.1

  1. Re-read the chapter summary first. Open Real Numbers and refresh the key concepts: Euclid's Lemma, Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, HCF and LCM, Irrational numbers.
  2. Try each problem yourself before opening the solution. Ten focused minutes per problem usually beats reading two finished solutions.
  3. Use Guru AI for the questions you get stuck on. The Socratic AI tutor walks you through it with hints instead of dictating the answer.
  4. Mark the questions you got wrong and revisit them after 24 hours — the spacing is what locks the method into long-term memory.

FAQs about Exercise 1.1

Which method does Exercise 1.1 expect for finding HCF and LCM?+

Exercise 1.1 expects the prime factorisation method. The earlier Euclid's Division Algorithm approach was deprioritised in the rationalised 2023-24 edition.

All exercises in Real Numbers

  1. Exercise 1.1Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic — finding HCF and LCM through prime factorisation.
  2. Exercise 1.2Proving irrationality — showing that √2, √3 and √5 cannot be written as p/q.

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