PRIME FACTORIZATION USING FACTOR TREES!

How to Do Prime Factorization Using a Factor Tree Step 1 – Start with a composite number. Step 2 – Write down a multiplication problem that equals this number or any pair of factors of this number. Step 3 – Continue until you have reached all prime numbers. Circle the prime numbers and write the product.

The prime factorization of 18 is 2 x 3 x 3 or 2 x 32 9 2 3 3

Two different factor trees for the same number will still result in the same prime factorization. The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic supports this statement. 36 36 3 12 4 9 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 22 x 32 22 x 32

You can check your prime factorization by multiplying your answer You can check your prime factorization by multiplying your answer. If you get the original number, you are correct. 36 4 9 3 3 2 2 4 x 9 = 36 22 x 32

For this particular unit we are not using EXPONETS …the raised number that indicates how many times the factor will be multiplied by itself.