When is the product not greater than both of its factors. Your answer should be 2-5 sentences.

Answer 1

The product of two factors \( a \) and \( b \) is not greater than both factors when at least one of the factors is either zero or one. If \( a = 0 \) or \( b = 0 \), the product \( a \times b \) is zero, which is not greater than either factor. Similarly, if one of the factors is one (e.g., \( a = 1 \)), the product will equal the other factor \( b \) and will not exceed it. Thus, scenarios including zero and one lead to a product that is not greater than its factors.