Q: What is the prime factorization of the number 43,264?

 A:
  • The prime factors are: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 13 x 13
    • or also written as { 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 13, 13 }
  • Written in exponential form: 28 x 132

Why is the prime factorization of 43,264 written as 28 x 132?

What is prime factorization?

Prime factorization or prime factor decomposition is the process of finding which prime numbers can be multiplied together to make the original number.

Finding the prime factors of 43,264

To find the prime factors, you start by dividing the number by the first prime number, which is 2. If there is not a remainder, meaning you can divide evenly, then 2 is a factor of the number. Continue dividing by 2 until you cannot divide evenly anymore. Write down how many 2's you were able to divide by evenly. Now try dividing by the next prime factor, which is 3. The goal is to get to a quotient of 1.

If it doesn't make sense yet, let's try it...

Here are the first several prime factors: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29...

Let's start by dividing 43,264 by 2

43,264 ÷ 2 = 21,632 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
21,632 ÷ 2 = 10,816 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
10,816 ÷ 2 = 5,408 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
5,408 ÷ 2 = 2,704 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
2,704 ÷ 2 = 1,352 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
1,352 ÷ 2 = 676 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
676 ÷ 2 = 338 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
338 ÷ 2 = 169 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
169 ÷ 2 = 84.5 - There is a remainder. We can't divide by 2 evenly anymore. Let's try the next prime number
169 ÷ 3 = 56.3333 - This has a remainder. 3 is not a factor.
169 ÷ 5 = 33.8 - This has a remainder. 5 is not a factor.
169 ÷ 7 = 24.1429 - This has a remainder. 7 is not a factor.
...
Keep trying increasingly larger numbers until you find one that divides evenly.
...
169 ÷ 13 = 13 - No remainder! 13 is one of the factors!
13 ÷ 13 = 1 - No remainder! 13 is one of the factors!

The orange divisor(s) above are the prime factors of the number 43,264. If we put all of it together we have the factors 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 13 x 13 = 43,264. It can also be written in exponential form as 28 x 132.

Factor Tree

Another way to do prime factorization is to use a factor tree. Below is a factor tree for the number 43,264.

43,264
Factor Arrows
221,632
Factor Arrows
210,816
Factor Arrows
25,408
Factor Arrows
22,704
Factor Arrows
21,352
Factor Arrows
2676
Factor Arrows
2338
Factor Arrows
2169
Factor Arrows
1313

More Prime Factorization Examples

43,26243,26343,26543,266
21 x 971 x 223132 x 111 x 191 x 23151 x 171 x 509121 x 31 x 7,2111

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