Prime Numbers???

[SisCathy]

My 13 year old daughter is working on her math and has asked me this question:
"Write 36 as a product of prime numbers.
Place in order from smallest to largest numbers
[ ] × [ ] × [ ] × [ ]"

I would like to be able to explain to her how to answer this, but I do not remember (it has been 25years!!!)

Thanks so much!
Cat

 

[Deleted member 4993]

My 13 year old daughter is working on her math and has asked me this question:
"Write 36 as a product of prime numbers.
Place in order from smallest to largest numbers
[ ] × [ ] × [ ] × [ ]"

I would like to be able to explain to her how to answer this, but I do not remember (it has been 25years!!!)

Thanks so much!
Cat

This is called prime factorization - that is factorize till you can do no more!

Let's do 60

60 = 30 * 2 = 15 * 2 * 2 = 5 * 3 * 2 * 2 = 5 * 3 * 2[sup:3u3oskbj]2[/sup:3u3oskbj] ..... all the factors are prime we are done

another example

210 = 105 * 2 = 35 * 3 * 2 = 7 * 5 * 3 * 2

another one

128 = 2* 64 = 2 * 2 * 32 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 16 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 8 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 4 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 = 2[sup:3u3oskbj]7[/sup:3u3oskbj]

now try your problem....