For extra help, here are some strategies for prime factoring whole numbers.
- Prime factor a composite number using a factor ladder:
Prime factorization for 48: \(48=2^4\cdot{3}\)
2. Another way to prime factor a number is to use a factor tree.
Check your answers for simplifying the fractions above:
- \(\dfrac{24}{36}=\dfrac{2\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{3}}{2\cdot{2}\cdot{3}\cdot{3}}=\dfrac{2}{3}\)
- \(\dfrac{48}{54}=\dfrac{2\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{3}}{2\cdot{3}\cdot{3}\cdot{3}}=\dfrac{2\cdot{2}\cdot{2}}{3\cdot{3}}=\dfrac{8}{9}\)
- \(\dfrac{36}{54}=\dfrac{2\cdot{2}\cdot{3}\cdot{3}}{2\cdot{3}\cdot{3}\cdot{3}}=\dfrac{2}{3}\)
- \(\dfrac{24}{48}=\dfrac{2\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{3}}{2\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{2}\cdot{3}}=\dfrac{1}{2}\)