The primes inside a number
Break 60 into pieces that will not break any more. Breaking a number means writing it as a product. For example, 60 = 6 × 10.
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Step 1 of 5
- 60 to break down.
- Peel off 2: 60 → 30.
- Peel off 2 again: 30 → 15.
- Peel off 3: 15 → 5.
- 5 is prime. 60 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5.
Keep breaking until nothing breaks
60 breaks into 2, 2, 3 and 5. None of them breaks any more.
A prime has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. Keep splitting a number until every piece is prime. Those pieces are its prime factorisation.
Multiply the pieces together to check. 2 × 2 = 4, then 4 × 3 = 12, then 12 × 5 = 60.
The number 1 has only one factor. So it is not prime. It never appears on the list.