The prime factorization of 18 is 2 × 3 × 3 or 2 × 3².
To understand this, let’s break down the number 18 into its prime factors:
- 18 is an even number, which means it can be divided by 2. Dividing 18 by 2 gives us 9.
- Next, we can factor 9. The number 9 can be divided by 3, resulting in 3. Therefore, 9 can be expressed as 3 × 3 or 3².
Putting it all together, we see that:
- 18 = 2 × 9
- 9 = 3 × 3
Thus, the prime factors of 18 are 2 and 3, and the complete prime factorization is 2 × 3 × 3 or 2 × 3².