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1.3 Primes & composites

All counting numbers from 2 onwards can be split into two major groups of numbers called
primes and composites.

A prime number is any counting number that has exactly two factors − itself and 1.

Example: 13 is a prime since it has only two factors, 1 and 13.

A composite number has more than two factors.

Example: 15 is composite since it has factors 1, 3, 5 and 15.

Click here to review divisibility tests which may help you to determine a number’s factors.

Prime or composite?
The table below lists the factors of the rst 20 counting numbers and shows whether they
are prime (P), composite (C) or neither.

Number Factors Prime/Composite

1 1 Neither
2 1, 2 P
3 1, 3 P
4 1, 2, 4 C
5 1, 5 P
6 1, 2, 3, 6 C
7 1, 7 P
8 1, 2, 4, 8 C
9 1, 3, 9 C
10 1, 2, 5, 10 C
11 1, 11 P
12 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 C
13 1, 13 P
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14 1, 2, 7, 14 C
15 1, 3, 5, 15 C
16 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 C
17 1, 17 P
18 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18 C
19 1, 19 P
20 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20 C

EXAMPLE
State whether these numbers are prime or composite:
15, 11, 19, 27, 93.

SOLUTION
15 is composite since it has more than 2 factors: {1, 3, 5, 15}

11 is prime because it has only 2 factors: {1, 11}

19 is prime because it has only 2 factors: {1, 19}

27 is composite since it has more than 2 factors: {1, 3, 9, 27}

93 is composite since it has more than 2 factors: {1, 3, 31, 93}

Big primes
Large prime numbers are used for encryptions and computer security.

In 2005, the largest known prime number was 230 402 457 − 1, a number with over 9 million
digits.

In August 2008, the largest known prime was 243 112 609 − 1, a number with nearly 13 million
digits.

In January 2013, the largest known prime was 257 885 161 − 1, which has over 17 million digits.

Sieve of Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes of Cyrene (ca 276−197 BC) was a famous astronomer, scientist, poet,
philosopher, historian and Director of the Great Library of Alexandria.

Print Hotsheet for a poster of this famous man.

Eratosthenes also made some important discoveries in mathematics, including developing

a method of identifying prime numbers, called The Sieve of Eratosthenes.

Print Hotsheet to recreate this Sieve. You may nd this Widget is also useful for this
activity.

Click Solutions to check your answers when you have completed the Worksheet.

Using prime factors

You can write any composite number as a product of prime factors.

Examples: 6 = 2 × 3
50 = 2 × 5 × 5

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With large numbers, work in steps to nd all the prime factors.

Prime factors can help when dividing.

Print Hotsheet to work with prime factors.

Click Solutions to check your answers when you have completed the Worksheet.

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