Q: What is the prime factorization of the number 55,360,000?

 A:
  • The prime factors are: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 173
    • or also written as { 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 5, 5, 5, 5, 173 }
  • Written in exponential form: 29 x 54 x 1731

Why is the prime factorization of 55,360,000 written as 29 x 54 x 1731?

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 55,360,000

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 55,360,000 by 2

55,360,000 ÷ 2 = 27,680,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
27,680,000 ÷ 2 = 13,840,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
13,840,000 ÷ 2 = 6,920,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
6,920,000 ÷ 2 = 3,460,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
3,460,000 ÷ 2 = 1,730,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
1,730,000 ÷ 2 = 865,000 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
865,000 ÷ 2 = 432,500 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
432,500 ÷ 2 = 216,250 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
216,250 ÷ 2 = 108,125 - No remainder! 2 is one of the factors!
108,125 ÷ 2 = 54,062.5 - There is a remainder. We can't divide by 2 evenly anymore. Let's try the next prime number
108,125 ÷ 3 = 36,041.6667 - This has a remainder. 3 is not a factor.
108,125 ÷ 5 = 21,625 - No remainder! 5 is one of the factors!
21,625 ÷ 5 = 4,325 - No remainder! 5 is one of the factors!
4,325 ÷ 5 = 865 - No remainder! 5 is one of the factors!
865 ÷ 5 = 173 - No remainder! 5 is one of the factors!
173 ÷ 5 = 34.6 - There is a remainder. We can't divide by 5 evenly anymore. Let's try the next prime number
173 ÷ 7 = 24.7143 - This has a remainder. 7 is not a factor.
173 ÷ 11 = 15.7273 - This has a remainder. 11 is not a factor.
173 ÷ 13 = 13.3077 - This has a remainder. 13 is not a factor.
...
Keep trying increasingly larger numbers until you find one that divides evenly.
...
173 ÷ 173 = 1 - No remainder! 173 is one of the factors!

The orange divisor(s) above are the prime factors of the number 55,360,000. 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 2 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 173 = 55,360,000. It can also be written in exponential form as 29 x 54 x 1731.

Factor Tree

Another way to do prime factorization is to use a factor tree. Below is a factor tree for the number 55,360,000.

55,360,000
Factor Arrows
227,680,000
Factor Arrows
213,840,000
Factor Arrows
26,920,000
Factor Arrows
23,460,000
Factor Arrows
21,730,000
Factor Arrows
2865,000
Factor Arrows
2432,500
Factor Arrows
2216,250
Factor Arrows
2108,125
Factor Arrows
521,625
Factor Arrows
54,325
Factor Arrows
5865
Factor Arrows
5173

More Prime Factorization Examples

55,359,99855,359,99955,360,00155,360,002
21 x 1,0391 x 26,641132 x 1671 x 36,8331611 x 3371 x 2,693121 x 31 x 9,226,6671

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