Factors are numbers that can be multiplied together to produce another number. The prime factorization of a number breaks it down into a product of prime numbers. For example, the prime factorization of 48 is 2 x 2 x 2 x 3, as 48 can be broken down into its prime factors of 2 and 3. There are two methods for finding the prime factorization of a number: using a factor tree or a ladder.

1. Factors and Prime Factorization 11/9/09

2. Factors A factor is a number, that, when multiplied by another number, gives you a product. 6x8=48; the factors of 48 in this case are 6 and 8 When listing factors from least to greatest, make sure you list ALL the factors! 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 48 are all the factors of 48.

3. Prime Factorization By taking the prime factorization of a number, you are breaking the number down into a product of its prime numbers. 48 = 2x2x2x2x3 or 2 4 x 3 To do this, you can use one of two methods: factor tree or ladder.

4. Factor Tree 64 2 32 2 16 2 8 2 4 2 2 So the prime factorization of 64 is: 2x2x2x2x2x2 or 2 6 because 64 has been broken down into all of it’s prime numbers.

5. Ladder To see an example of the ladder method, look in your textbook at page 157.