Write 243 as product of prime factors in index form

peterbra

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can anyone help with this problem

write 243 as the product of prime factors. Give your answer in index form?
 
peterbra said:
write 243 as the product of prime factors. Give your answer in index form?
What have you tried? How far did you get? Where are you stuck?

You factored the number completely, you grouped the factors usefully, and... then what?

Please be complete. Thank you! :D

Eliz.
 
This type of problem is known as prime factorization. To solve it you need to do a factor tree. To get started find any two number that multiply together to give you 243. For example 3 X 81 = 243.

243
/ \
3 81

Now, for any non-prime number you have on your "tree," find 2 numbers that multiply to give you that number:

243
/ \
3 81
/ \
9 9

Continue the process until you have only prime numbers in your tree:

243
/ \
3 81
/ \
9 9
/ \ / \
3 3 3 3

Once you have nothing left. Write out your prime numbers in a list. Count the number of each type of prime number you have and make it an exponent. For this example there are five 3s so it is 3 to the 5th power.

The prime factorization of 243 is 3[sup:1baxv5op]5[/sup:1baxv5op]
 
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