Missing Factor
Free missing-factor game: solve 4 × ? = 28 and ? × 6 = 42 — the bridge from multiplication to division. For 3rd grade+. No sign-up.
Grade 3–4 · Free · No sign-up
How to play & why it works
Each round is a multiplication with a hole in it — 4 × _ = 28 — and you type the missing factor. It looks like multiplication, but your brain is quietly doing division, which is exactly the point.
Missing-factor problems are the pedagogical bridge between times tables and division. Instead of introducing division as a new operation, they reframe it as a question about a fact the learner already owns: "4 times what is 28?".
If a round stalls, run the target table quickly: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 — there it is, the 7th step. As the tables firm up, that scan collapses to instant recall, and division facts arrive essentially for free.
The free MathIt app runs the same skill through its adaptive ladder into division facts, remainders and algebra-style unknowns, with streaks and 2–5 player battles.
This drill is division wearing a multiplication costume. Asked for 4 × _ = 28, a child either divides or searches their 4-times table — both are exactly the thinking that division questions require, but the framing feels easier, so it is a useful bridge for children who find division intimidating.
It is also the first genuine algebra most children meet. The blank is an unknown, and finding it means undoing an operation. Replace the blank with an x and the page becomes a one-step equation, which is why this skill matters well beyond fourth grade.
Skills you'll practice
Keep practicing
Frequently asked questions
What is a missing factor problem?
A multiplication with one factor hidden, like 6 × _ = 42. You find the hidden number, which is the same as dividing the product by the factor you can see.
How is this different from a division drill?
Only in presentation. The arithmetic is identical, but the multiplication framing lets a child use a table they already know rather than a division fact they may not have automated yet.
Why is this called pre-algebra?
Because the blank behaves exactly like a variable. Once children are comfortable finding an unknown inside an operation, writing it as x is a change of notation rather than a new idea.
Get the full game
Adaptive difficulty, daily streaks, and live 2–5 player math battles — free on iOS and Android.