Prime Factorization
Prime factorization is determining what prime numbers multiplied together gives you the original number.
A Prime Number is a whole number greater than 1 that can not be made by multiplying other whole numbers.
Prime number examples: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 etc...
Composite Number is any number that has more than one factor besides one and itself
Examples: 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14,15, 16, 20, 21, 22 etc....
Factors are the numbers you multiply together to get another number
When doing prime factorization start by dividing the number by the first prime number 2 and continue dividing by 2 until you get a decimal or remainder. Then divide by 3, 5, 7, etc. until the only numbers left are prime numbers. All numbers must be whole numbers. Write the number as a product of prime numbers. You can circle the prime numbers as you see them in your number tree to make it easier.
Example:
124
we can divide 124 by 2 which we get 2 and 62
the 2 would be circled because it is an prime number but the 62 is not a prime therefore we continue and it can be divided by 2. 62 divided by 2 gives you 31.
31 is a prime number so it is circled.
the prime factorization of 124 = 2 x 2 x 31 or 2^2 x 31