To find the prime factorization of 180 and express it in exponential form, we need to break down the number into its prime factors. Here’s a step-by-step solution:
Step 1: Divide by the smallest prime number
The smallest prime number is 2. We start by dividing 180 by 2.
180 ÷ 2 = 90
So, we have one factor: 2.
Step 2: Continue dividing by 2
Next, we take the result (90) and divide it by 2 again.
90 ÷ 2 = 45
Now we have two factors of 2: 2 × 2.
Step 3: Move to the next prime number
The next smallest prime number is 3. Now we divide 45 by 3.
45 ÷ 3 = 15
This gives us a factor of 3: 3.
Step 4: Continue dividing by 3
Next, we take 15 and divide it by 3 again.
15 ÷ 3 = 5
Now we have two factors of 3: 3 × 3.
Step 5: Factor the remaining number
We are left with 5, which is a prime number itself. So, we have another factor: 5.
Step 6: Combine all factors
Now we combine all the prime factors we found:
180 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5
In exponential form, we can express this as:
22 × 32 × 51
So, the prime factorization of 180 expressed in exponential form is:
22 × 32 × 5