The prime factors of a number are factors which are prime numbers. We can find the prime factors of a number by repetitive division or stacked division. To find the prime factorization of the number, we need to find the prime factors that when multiplied together gives the number.
Example:
Find the prime factors of 36.
The following diagrams show Prime Factorization of a number using Factors Trees and using Repeated Division. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions of prime factorization.The prime factors of 36 are 2 and 3.
We can write 36 as a product of prime factors: 2 × 2 × 3 × 3
To find prime factors using the repetitive division, it is advisable to start with a small prime factor and continue the process with bigger prime factors.
Prime Factorization Using Stacked DivisionTry the free Mathway calculator and
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