To find the prime factorization of 54, we start by dividing the number by the smallest prime number, which is 2. Since 54 is even, we can divide it by 2:
54 ÷ 2 = 27
Now we have 2 as one of our prime factors, and we are left with 27. Next, we look for the prime factorization of 27. The smallest prime number we can use to divide 27 is 3:
27 ÷ 3 = 9
We keep 3 in mind as another prime factor. We still have 9 to factor. We can divide 9 by 3 again:
9 ÷ 3 = 3
We continue until we reach a prime number. Since 3 is prime, we stop here. Now we can summarize the factors:
54 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 3
Using exponential notation, we express this as:
54 = 2 × 33
So, the prime factorization of 54 is 2 × 33.