The prime factorization of 76 is _____.

Question

76
2^2 · 19
2 · 38
2^2 · 7

Answer 1

The prime factorization of 76 is \( 2^2 \cdot 19 \).

To explain this:

1. Start by dividing 76 by the smallest prime number, which is 2: \[ 76 \div 2 = 38 \]
2. Divide 38 by 2 again: \[ 38 \div 2 = 19 \]
3. Now, since 19 is a prime number, we stop here.

Putting it all together, we have: \[ 76 = 2 \times 2 \times 19 = 2^2 \cdot 19 \]

Thus, the correct answer is \( 2^2 \cdot 19 \).