The prime factorization of 242 is 2 × 121 or 2 × 11 × 11.
To understand this, we start by dividing 242 by the smallest prime number, which is 2. Since 242 is even, we can divide it:
242 ÷ 2 = 121.
Next, we need to factor 121. The smallest prime that fits is now 11, since 11 × 11 equals 121. Thus, we can express 121 as 11 × 11.
Combining these factors together, we conclude that the complete prime factorization of 242 is 2 × 11 × 11 or 2 × 11².