Definitions:

The prime factors of a positive integer are the prime numbers that divide that integer exactly. The process of finding these numbers is called integer factorization, or prime factorization. 

The fundamental theorem of arithmetic says that every positive integer has a unique prime factorization.

72 ÷ 2 = 36

36 ÷ 2 = 18

18 ÷ 2 = 9

9 ÷ 3 = 3

3 ÷ 3 = 1

72 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 = 2³ x 3²

Prime factorization is an important component of cryptography and data encryption.