What is the prime factorization of 85?

The prime factorization of 85 is 5 x 17. The prime factorization of a number involves breaking down a number into a combination of its prime factors. The final factorization can be two or more prime numbers and may contain duplicates.

The simplest prime factorization method is to divide a number by its lowest prime factor and continue doing so to the result until only prime numbers remain. The number smallest prime factor of 85 is 5, which yields 17 when 85 is divided by 5. Because 17 is also a prime number, the final prime factorization of 85 is equal to 5 x 17.