What is the prime factorization of 32?

Solution:

Prime factorization means expressing a composite number as the product of its prime factors.

• Step 1: To get the prime factorization of 32, we divide it by its smallest prime factor, which is 2. (32÷ 2 = 16)
• Step 2: Now, 16 is divided by its smallest prime factor and the quotient is obtained. 16÷2 = 8
• Step 3: This process goes on till we get the quotient as 1. 8 ÷ 2 = 4, 4 ÷ 2 = 2, 2 ÷ 2 = 1 .

Prime factorization of  32 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2.

The process of finding the prime factorization of 32 is shown below:

Thus, 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 2⁵ is the prime factorization of 32.

What is the prime factorization of 32?

Summary:

The prime factorization of 32 is 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 2⁵.