Factors are numbers that you multiply together to get another number. "Prime factors" are factors that are prime numbers. A prime number is a number whose only factors are itself and 1, such as 1 (1*1), 2 (2*1), 3 (3*1) 5, 7, 11, etc. 4, for example is not a prime number because it has factors of 4*1 and 2*2. When you perform a "prime factorization" of a number, you keep factoring it until you get all prime numbers as factors:
45 = 9*5
5 is a prime number, but 9 is not:
9 = 3*3
3 is prime number, so the "prime factors" of 45 are:
45 = 3*3*5
Philip P.
tutor
Note that I could have started with 45 = 15*3. 3 is a prime number but 15 is not since 15 = 3*5. So, the prime factors of 45 = 3*5*3, which is the same answer. So, it doesn't matter what factors you start with; if you factor them down to prime numbers you'll get the right answer.
Report
05/24/22
Annie B.
Thank you! This was very helpful!05/24/22