Question

How do you write the prime factorization of `-120r^2st^3`?

Answer 1

`-1 xx 2^3 xx 3 xx 5 xx s xx t^3`

Explanation:

A minus requires a -1 factor

`120 = 2 xx 60`
`2 xx 60 = 2 xx 2 xx 30`
`2 xx 2 xx 30 = 2 xx 2 xx 2 xx 15`
`2 xx 2 xx 2 xx 15 = 2 xx 2 xx 2 xx 3 xx 5`

`st^3 = s xx t xx t xx t` or `st^3`

so

`-1 xx 2 xx 2 xx2 xx 3 xx 5 xx s xx t xx t xx t` =

`-1 xx 2^3 xx 3 xx 5 xx s xx t^3`