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Exercises Numbers, fractions and percents

Example 1.8 from Elementary Algebra, 1.1 Introduction to Whole Numbers

Introduction to Whole Numbers: example 1.8

Find the prime factorization of 252.

Work it out on paper first. Then open the solution one step at a time, and stop as soon as you can finish on your own.

1

Solution

Step 1. Find two factors whose product is 252. 12 and 21 are not prime. Break 12 and 21 into two more factors. Continue until all primes are factored.
Step 2. Write 252 as the product of all the circled primes.	$252 = 2 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 \cdot 7$

Your turn

The book's Try It right after this example: same idea, new numbers. Only the answer is given.

Find the prime factorization of 126.

How did it go?

PreviousIntroduction to Whole Numbers: example 1.7 Next Introduction to Whole Numbers: example 1.9

From Elementary Algebra (1st edition) by OpenStax (Rice University), section 1.1, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Original at openstax.org. We split the solution into steps; the words, numbers and figures are the book's. OpenStax doesn't endorse this site.