what numbers i can use to make a prime factorization of 72

Answer 1

To perform prime factorization of the number 72, you can use the following steps:

1. Start dividing by the smallest prime number, which is 2:

   • \( 72 \div 2 = 36 \)
   • \( 36 \div 2 = 18 \)
   • \( 18 \div 2 = 9 \)

2. Now, 9 cannot be divided by 2 anymore, so we move to the next smallest prime, which is 3:

   • \( 9 \div 3 = 3 \)
   • \( 3 \div 3 = 1 \)

Now that we have reached 1, we can collect all the prime factors we've used:

• The prime factorization of 72 is: \[ 72 = 2^3 \times 3^2 \]

Thus, the prime factors of 72 are 2 and 3.