Which of the following is a factor of 36?

A factor of a number is any whole number that can be multiplied by another whole number to yield that number. In this case, we need to determine which of the given options can multiply with another whole number to equal 36.

Starting with the number 36, it can be factored into several pairs of whole numbers:

• 1 × 36

• 2 × 18

• 3 × 12

• 4 × 9

• 6 × 6

Among the pairs, we see that 4 × 9 results in 36, indicating that 4 is indeed a factor of 36. This means if 36 is divided by 4, it gives a whole number (which is 9), confirming its status as a factor.

The other options provided do not yield whole numbers when 36 is divided by them: 36 divided by 7 does not result in a whole number, nor does dividing by 11 or 15. Therefore, while they could be tested to check if they could produce a whole number factor alongside another number, they do not successfully provide a whole number when over 36. Hence, 4 stands out as the only correct factor among the options.