What are the prime factors of 196?

##196=2^2xx7^2##

##color(green)2## is the SMALLEST prime number that can divide 196 so we'll start with that :

##196/color(blue)2=98##

98 also can be divided by ##color(green)2##, so :

##98/color(blue)2 = 49##

##color(green)2## is no longer a divisor of 49, so we must find the next SMALLEST prime number that can divide 49, which is ##color(red)7##

##49/color(blue)7=7##

Again, ##color(red)7## is a divisor of itself so :

##7/color(blue)7=1##

We end the division when we find 1, and the of the number 196 is the product of the prime factors in the denominators which are in this case ##color(green)2## and ##color(red)7## :

##196=color(blue)(2xx2xx7xx7)=color(blue)2^2xxcolor(blue)7^2##