Answer: 2 × 2 × 3
Step-by-step explanation: To start off this problem, notice that 12 can be factored into 2 × 6.
Since 2 is a prime number, we move onto the 6. The number 6 is not a prime number and it can be factored into 2 × 3.
Since 2 and 3 are prime numbers, we are finished factoring.
If we bring down the 2 we had from the first factoring step, we can see that the prime factorization of 12 is 2 × 2 × 3.
