We explain what a factor is, the origin of the term and how its meaning changes depending on the context. Also, what is a factor in mathematics.
What is a factor?
Generally speaking, a factor It is an element that plays a determining role in a resultthat is, it is influential in some aspect of reality, and therefore must be taken into account when studying it. For example, when talking about the factors that triggered an economic crisis, we are referring to the economic elements and actors that directly or indirectly caused the crisis or allowed it to occur.
The word “factor” comes from Latin factorwhich literally means “one who does.” This word derives from the verb facere (“do”) and has preserved its meaning practically intact when entering Spanish. This is why the words: agent, cause, component, element, ingredient or principle, among others, are considered synonyms of factor.
For the rest, the exact meaning of “factor” will depend on the context in which the word is used. In many areas the original meaning of “person who does something” is maintained.but especially linked to the management of other people's goods and resources: in railway stations, for example, the factor is the employee who is responsible for receiving, dispatching and delivering luggage and merchandise; while in the old Spanish American colonial order, one factor was an official of the Spanish crown in charge of collecting revenues and tributes in kind.
In other cases, the dominant meaning when talking about a factor is that of a component or element of a greater whole.. For example, in physiology, the “Rh factor” (i.e., “Rh principle” or “Rh component”) is known as a protein whose presence or absence in the blood (Rh+ if it is present in the blood, Rh- if it is absent). ) is capable of producing serious incompatibilities in blood transfusions and pregnancies.
See also: Factors of production
“Factor” in mathematics
In the field of mathematics, The elements involved in multiplication are known as factors.. Hence the rule regarding the interchangeability of multiplied numbers (that is, that 2 x 1 is exactly 1 x 2) states that “the order of the factors does not alter the product.”
Likewise, it is said that one number is a factor of another when the second can be divided by the firstor what is the same, that to obtain the first in a multiplication, the second can be involved in the formula. More simply put, the number 2 is a factor of 8 because 2 multiplied by 4 equals 8, or in other words, 8 divided by 2 equals 4.
Examples of use of the word “factor”
Below are some examples of use of the word “factor” in its different meanings:
- “Rain is a very important factor in keeping the climate stable.” This phrase means that in climatic stability, rain is an agent to be taken into account: if there is too much, or too little, the climate will undoubtedly be affected.
- “The economic factors of our country are difficult to anticipate.” This phrase means that the elements causing the good or bad state of the country's economy are difficult to predict, and therefore it is difficult to prepare for the local economic future.
- “Today we know what the determining factors of diabetes are.” This phrase means that today the conditions by which a person develops the disease of diabetes are known.
- “The human factor is central to the success of any company or organization.” This phrase means that the people who make up the work team of a company or an organization constitute a very important ingredient of its success.
Continue with: Biotic and abiotic factors
References
- “Factor” on Wikipedia.
- “Factoring” on Wikipedia.
- “Etymology of Factor” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “Factor, ra” in the Dictionary of the Language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
