Final answer:
To find the prime factors of a number, divide it by the smallest prime numbers until you can no longer divide it further. Express the prime factors in exponential form.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the prime factors of a number, we need to break it down into its smaller prime factors. Starting with the smallest prime number, which is 2, we divide the given number by 2 as many times as possible. Then, we move on to the next prime number and repeat the process until we can no longer divide the number further.
For example, let's take the number 15. 15 can be divided by 3, giving us 5. Since 5 is a prime number, we cannot divide it further, so we stop. Therefore, the prime factors of 15 are 3 and 5.
In exponential form, we can express 15 as 3^1 * 5^1.