To find the prime factors of 165, we start by dividing it by the smallest prime number, which is 2. Since 165 is odd, it is not divisible by 2. Next, we try 3.
1. Dividing by 3:
165 ÷ 3 = 55.
So, 3 is a prime factor.
2. Now we need to factor 55. Again, we start with the smallest prime numbers. 55 is not divisible by 2 or 3. Moving to 5:
5 is a factor:
55 ÷ 5 = 11.
Thus, 5 is another prime factor.
3. Finally, we are left with 11, which is itself a prime number.
So, the prime factors of 165 are 3, 5, and 11. To summarize:
- 3
- 5
- 11