How many prime factors, counted with repetition, does 21252 = 2^2 x 3 x 7 x 11 x 23 have?

1. Counting with repetition means each prime is counted as many times as it appears. 2. The factor 2^2 contributes two primes. 3. The factors 3, 7, 11 and 23 contribute one each, so four more. 4. The total is 2 + 4 = 6. 5. Answering four would be counting distinct primes only, which is the trap here. _Source: syllabus Maths, Ch 1 'Real Numbers', S1.2 The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic_