The prime factorization of 36 can be determined by dividing it by the smallest prime numbers.
- Start with 36 and divide by 2 (the smallest prime number):
- \(36 \div 2 = 18\)
- Divide 18 by 2 again:
- \(18 \div 2 = 9\)
- Now, divide 9 by 3 (the next smallest prime):
- \(9 \div 3 = 3\)
- Finally, divide 3 by itself:
- \(3 \div 3 = 1\)
Thus, you can express 36 as: \[ 36 = 2^2 \times 3^2 \]
The prime factors of 36 are therefore 2 and 3.