The prime factorization of 50 is 2 × 5 × 5 or 2 × 52.
To explain this, we start by dividing 50 by the smallest prime number, which is 2. Since 50 is even, we can easily divide it:
- 50 ÷ 2 = 25
Now we are left with 25. The next step is to find the prime factors of 25. We can divide 25 by the smallest prime number that fits, which is 5:
- 25 ÷ 5 = 5
At this point, we have another 5, so we can express 25 as 5 × 5 or 52. Putting it all together, we see that:
- 50 = 2 × 25 = 2 × 5 × 5 = 2 × 52.
Thus, the prime factorization of 50 is 2 and 5, where 5 is squared.