What is the prime factorization of 60?

What is the prime factorization of 60?

• A. 3 × 4 × 5
• B. 2 × 2 × 3 × 5
• C. 6 × 10
• D. 2 × 30

Answer: (B)

Prime factorization means expressing a number as a product of prime numbers. For 60, divide by the smallest primes: 60 ÷ 2 = 30, then 30 ÷ 2 = 15, then 15 ÷ 3 = 5, and 5 is already prime. This gives the prime factors 2, 2, 3, and 5, written as 2 × 2 × 3 × 5. That equals 60. Other options use composite numbers like 4 or 6 and 10, which aren’t prime factors, so they don’t represent the number in its prime factorization.

Prime factorization means expressing a number as a product of prime numbers. For 60, divide by the smallest primes: 60 ÷ 2 = 30, then 30 ÷ 2 = 15, then 15 ÷ 3 = 5, and 5 is already prime. This gives the prime factors 2, 2, 3, and 5, written as 2 × 2 × 3 × 5. That equals 60.

Other options use composite numbers like 4 or 6 and 10, which aren’t prime factors, so they don’t represent the number in its prime factorization.