Answer
$48 = 2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot3$
Work Step by Step
The $\textit{prime factorization}$ of a number is obtained by writing the number as a product of primes.
To determine the prime factorization of $48$ we write the number as a product of factors and continue the process until all factors are prime numbers.
We start by writing $48$ as a product of two numbers:
$48=2\cdot 24$.
The number $2$ is prime, but $24$ is not. So we write $24=2\cdot 12$:
$48=2\cdot 2\cdot 12$.
As $12$ is not a prime number we write: $12=2\cdot 6$ and we have:
$48=2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 6$.
As $6$ is not a prime number we write: $6=2\cdot 3$ and we have:
$48=2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 3$.
Now each factor is a prime number, therefore the prime factorization of $48$ is $2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 3$.
