The prime factorization of 9 is 3 x 3, or 32.
To break it down, prime factorization is the process of expressing a number as a product of its prime factors. The number 9 can be divided by 3, which is a prime number, repeatedly until we reach 1. Here’s how it works:
- First, divide 9 by 3, which gives you 3.
- Then, divide 3 by 3, which gives you 1.
Since we divided 9 by 3 two times before reaching 1, we write the prime factorization as 3 multiplied by itself two times, represented mathematically as 32.