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Prime and Composite Numbers
Factors: Factors are numbers that are multiplied
to get a product. In the multiplication sentence
3X7=21, the factors of 21 are 3 and 7.
Prime numbers: Numbers that have only 2 factors, 1
and itself, are called prime numbers. Example: the
number 5 is a prime number. You can not divide 5
evenly by 2, 3, or 4. You can only divide 5 evenly by
1 or itself.
Composite numbers: Numbers that have more than
2 factors are called composite numbers. The
number 6 is an example of a composite number.
You can divide six evenly by 1, 2, 3, and 6
The chart below shows some examples of prime and composite
numbers. The prime numbers are blue. The composite numbers are
black.
Note: 1 is neither a prime number or a composite number.
Any whole number except 1 is either Prime or Composite.