help please. Factor the composite number 42 into the product of prime numbers.

Hello anonymous!

42 = 2 * 21 = 2 * 3 * 7

42 = 2 * 3 * 7

:- )

Thanks, I got the same answer, however I was given some choices, one includes = 2*7*3. I was wondering do all answers need to be written with the lowest first and largest last? Or can 2*3*7 be as correct as 2*7*3

Anonymous.......since we're multiplying, the order doesn't matter.......The usual convention is to write the factors in ascending order, but this isn't a hard and fast "rule."

Thank you! Understood.