Prime Numbers Chart

A Prime Number can be divided evenly only by 1 or itself. And it must be a whole number greater than 1. Here is a list of all the prime numbers up to 1,000: 2 71 3 73 5 79 7 83 11 89 13 17 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67

97 101 103 107 109 113 127 131 137 139 149 151 157 163

167 173 179 181 191 193 197 199 211 223 227 229 233 239 241 251 257 263 269 271 277 281 283 293 307 311 313 317 331 337 347 349 353 359 367 373 379 383 389 397 401 409 419 421 431 433 439 443 449 457 461 463 467 479 487 491 499 503 509 521 523 541 547 557 563 569 571 577 587 593 599 601 607 613 617 619 631 641 643 647 653 659 661 673 677 683 691 701 709 719 727 733 739 743 751 757 761 769 773 787 797 809 811 821 823 827 829 839 853 857 859 863 877 881 883 887 907 911 919 929 937 941 947 953 967 971 977 983 991 997

Examples:

Is 12 a Prime Number? No, because it can be divided evenly by 3 or 4 (34=12), as well as by 1 and 12. Is 73 a Prime Number? Yes, it can only be divided evenly by 1 and 73.

Prime Numbers and Composite Numbers

A Prime Number can be divided evenly only by 1 or itself. And it must be a whole number greater than 1. Let me explain ... Some whole numbers can be divided up evenly, and some can't!
Example:

6 can be divided evenly by 2, or by 3: 6=23 Like this:

or

divided into 2 groups

divided into 3 groups

But 7 cannot be divided up evenly:

And we give them names:

When a number can be divided up evenly it is a Composite Number When a number can not be divided up evenly it is a Prime Number

So 6 is Composite, but 7 is Prime.

And that explains it ... but I have some some more details to mention ...

Not Into Fractions

We are only dealing with whole numbers here! We are not going to cut things into halves or quarters.

Not Into Groups of 1

OK, we could have divided 7 into seven 1s (or one 7) like this:

7=1x7

But we could do that for any whole number! So we should also say we are not interested in dividing by 1, or by the number itself.

A Prime Number cannot be divided evenly by any number (except 1 or itself).

Example: is 7 a Prime Number or Composite Number?

You cannot divide 7 evenly by 2 (you would get 2 lots of 3, with one left over) You cannot divide 7 evenly by 3 (you would get 3 lots of 2, with one left over) You cannot divide 7 evenly by 4, or 5, or 6.

You can only divide 7 into one group of 7 (or seven groups of 1):

7=1x7

So 7 can only be divided evenly by 1 or itself: So 7 is a Prime Number And also: A Composite Number can be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 or itself. Like this: Example: is 6 a Prime Number or Composite Number? 6 can be divided evenly by 2, or by 3, as well as by 1 or 6: 6=16 6=23 So 6 is a Composite Number

Sometimes a number can be divided evenly many ways: Example: 12 can be divided evenly by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12: 1 12 = 12 2 6 = 12 3 4 = 12 So 12 is a Composite Number And note this: Any whole number greater than 1 is either Prime or Composite

What About 1?
Years ago 1 was included as a Prime, but now it is not: 1 is neither Prime nor Composite.

Factors
You can make the same definitions using Factors.

"Factors" are the numbers you multiply together to get another number. So here is just a different way of saying the same thing from above: When the only two factors of a number are 1 and the number, then it is a Prime Number And remember this is only about Whole Numbers (1, 2, 3, ... etc), not fractions or negative numbers. So don't say "I could multiply times 6 to get 3" OK? Examples:
3=13 (the only factors are 1 and 3) Prime

6 = 1 6 or 6 = 2 3 (the factors are 1,2,3 and 6)

Composi te

Examples From 1 to 14
I have highlighted any factors other than 1 or the number itself:
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ... Can be Evenly Divided By Prime, or Composite?

(1 is not considered prime or composite) 1, 2 1, 3 1, 2, 4 1, 5 1, 2, 3, 6 1, 7 1, 2, 4, 8 1, 3, 9 1, 2, 5, 10 1, 11 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 1, 13 1, 2, 7, 14 ... Prime Prime Composite Prime Composite Prime Composite Composite Composite Prime Composite Prime Composite ...

So when there are more factors than 1 or the number itself, the number is Composite. A question for you: is 15 Prime or Composite?

Why All the Fuss about Prime and Composite?

Because you can "break apart" Composite Numbers into Prime Number factors. It is like the Prime Numbers are the basic building blocks of all numbers. And the Composite Numbers are made up of Prime Numbers multiplied together. Here you can see it in action:

2 is Prime, 3 is Prime, 4 is Composite (=22), 5 is Prime, and so on...

Example: 12 is made by multiplying the prime numbers 2, 2 and 3 together. 12 = 2 2 3 The number 2 was repeated, which is OK. In fact you would probably write it like this using the exponent of 2: 12 = 22 3

And that is why they are called "Composite" Numbers because composite means "something made by combining things" This idea is so important it is called The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic. There are many puzzles in mathematics that can be solved more easily when you "break up" the Composite Numbers into their Prime Number factors.