The prime factors of a number
The smallest multiple (other than zero) that two or more numbers have in common.
The prime factors of a number are the prime numbers that can be multiplied together to get the original number. For example, the prime factors of 12 are 2, 2, and 3, since 2 × 2 × 3 = 12.
The process of finding the prime factors of a number is called prime factorization. To find the prime factors of a number, you can start by dividing the number by the lowest prime number possible (which is 2) and continue dividing by prime numbers until you can’t divide anymore.
Here are the steps for finding the prime factors of a number:
1. Start by dividing the number by the lowest possible prime number (2). If the number is even, 2 will always be a prime factor.
2. If the number is not divisible by 2, move on to the next prime number (3).
3. Continue dividing by prime numbers until you cannot divide anymore.
4. Write down every prime number that was used in the division process. These are the prime factors of the original number.
It’s important to note that a number can have multiple instances of the same prime factor. For example, the prime factorization of 24 is 2 × 2 × 2 × 3, since 2 and 3 are the prime factors of 24.
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