All composite numbers can be expressed as unique products of prime numbers. This is accomplished by dividing the original number and its factors by prime numbers until all the factors are prime. A factor tree can help you visualize this.
Example: 210
210 Divide by two.
105,2 Divide by three.
35,3,2 Divide by five.
7,5,3,2 Stop. All the factors are prime.
2 x 3 x 5 x 7 = 210
That's the prime factorization of 210.
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Find the prime factors of each. Prime factors of 10 are 2 and 5 Prime factors of 15 are 3 and 5 Multiply one number by the prime factors unique to the other: 10x3 or 15x2 =30
Work out if they have any factors, other than the number 1 and themselves. If they do not they are prime.
The prime factors of 8 are 2, 2 and 2 or 23 The prime factors of 14 are 2 and 7 or 2*7 LCM = highest prime factors multiplied = 23*7 = 56
The factors of 233357 are: 1 233357 The prime factors are: (233357 is a prime number)
The best way to tackle this is to take the largest 3 digit number (999) and work out its prime factors. You can then work down until you get one with exactly five prime factors. 999 is 3x3x3x37, 998 is 2x499, 997 is prime, 996 is 2x2x3x83, 995 is 5x199, 994 is 2x7x71, 993 is 3x331, 992 is 2x2x2x2x2x31, 991 is prime, 990 is 2x3x3x5x11. That is the first we came across with five prime factors. Therefore the largest 3 digit number with exactly five prime factors is 990.