The prime factorization of a number involves breaking it down into its prime components. For the number 41, the process is straightforward because 41 is a prime number itself.
A prime number is a number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. Since 41 cannot be divided evenly by any other prime numbers, its prime factorization is simply:
41 = 41
This means that 41 is only divisible by 1 and 41, confirming that it is a prime number.