What are numbers that are multiplied together to obtain a specific product known as?

The term used to describe the numbers that are multiplied together to obtain a specific product is "factors." When two or more numbers (the factors) are multiplied, the result is known as the product. For example, in the multiplication of 3 and 4, both 3 and 4 are factors, and their product is 12.

Understanding factors is fundamental in various areas of mathematics, including simplifying fractions, finding the greatest common divisor, and working with prime factorization. In contrast, multiples refer to the result of multiplying a number by an integer, coefficients are numerical values used to multiply a variable in algebraic expressions, and divisors are numbers that divide another number without leaving a remainder. Knowing these definitions clarifies why "factors" is the correct term in the context of multiplication.