Smart Math guide · Number Sense

Prime Factorization as a Toolkit

Writing a number as a product of primes makes gcd, lcm, simplifying fractions, and divisibility easier.

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The method

How to use it

  1. Divide by the smallest prime factor available.
  2. Continue until all factors are prime.
  3. Use exponents to compress repeats.
Worked example

See it in action

360 = 2³×3²×5.

Check your thinking

How to verify it

Re-multiply 8×9×5 = 360.

Keep learning

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