Meaning & use
integer multiple
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Meaning
nouncountablemathematics
A number that is the result of multiplying a given whole number by another whole number.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an integer multiple of' before the base number, e.g. '12 is an integer multiple of 3'.
Patterns
- an integer multiple of something
- be an integer multiple of something
Twelve is an integer multiple of three because 3 × 4 = 12.
The frequency must be an integer multiple of the base frequency.
In this sequence, every term is an integer multiple of the first term.
Word forms
| plural | integer multiples |
|---|
Common combinations
- an integer multiple of
- Twenty is an integer multiple of five.
- be an integer multiple
- The wavelength must be an integer multiple of the fundamental wavelength.
- integer multiple of a number
- Six is an integer multiple of two.
- not an integer multiple
- Seven is not an integer multiple of three.
Synonyms and how they differ
- whole-number multiple
- Means the same but is less common in formal math writing; 'integer multiple' is the standard term.
- multiple
- Broader: any result of multiplying by a number, not necessarily a whole number; 'integer multiple' specifically requires whole numbers.
Word family
Commonly confused: integer multiple or factor?
integer multiple vs factor
A factor divides into a number exactly; an integer multiple is the result of multiplying. For example, 3 is a factor of 12, and 12 is an integer multiple of 3.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'integer multiple' correctly?
Choose one answer.
15 = 5 × 3, so 15 is an integer multiple of 5. Option B reverses the relationship (5 is not a multiple of 15). Option C is false because 7 is not a multiple of 2. Option D uses a non-integer, so it cannot be an integer multiple.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “integer multiple”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.