Understanding Composite and Prime Numbers: Explained with Examples

Composite numbers

Composite numbers are positive integers that have more than two distinct positive divisors

Composite numbers are positive integers that have more than two distinct positive divisors. In other words, a composite number can be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 and itself.

To determine if a number is composite, we can try dividing it by numbers smaller than itself and see if any of them divide evenly. If it does, then it is composite, otherwise, it is prime.

For example, let’s consider the number 14. We can try dividing it by numbers smaller than 14 like 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

By trying out these divisions, we find that 14 is divisible by 2, which gives us a quotient of 7. Therefore, 14 is composite since it has divisors other than 1 and itself (2 and 7).

On the other hand, prime numbers are positive integers greater than 1 that have no other divisors apart from 1 and themselves. For example, the number 7 is prime because it is only divisible by 1 and 7, and no other numbers smaller than 7.

In summary, composite numbers are positive integers that have divisors other than 1 and themselves, while prime numbers are positive integers that have no divisors other than 1 and themselves.

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