Final answer:
In Mathematics, to determine the number of factors of a positive integer, test each integer from 1 up to the number to check if it divides evenly. For example, 24 has 8 factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24.
Step-by-step explanation:
The task is to implement a function called num_factors, which calculates the number of factors a given positive integer n has. A factor of a number n is a whole number which divides n without leaving a remainder. To determine the number of factors, you can use a systematic approach of testing each integer from 1 up to and including the number itself to see if it divides evenly into n.
For example, to find the factors of 24, you would test each number from 1 to 24. You'd find that 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 all divide 24 without leaving a remainder, which means that 24 has 8 factors.
This approach ensures understanding and reinforces the concept that mathematics offers multiple systematic ways to arrive at the correct result.