Is 86 prime or composite?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking whether the number 86 is a prime or composite number. A prime number is defined as a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself, while a composite number has factors other than 1 and itself.
Answer
86 is a composite number.
Answer for screen readers
86 is a composite number.
Steps to Solve
- Identify the number's divisors
To determine whether 86 is prime or composite, we need to find out its divisors. The divisors of a number are the integers that can divide that number without leaving a remainder.
- Check for divisibility
A quick way to check for divisibility is to see if the number can be divided by smaller prime numbers (like 2, 3, 5, etc.).
- Dividing by 2
Since 86 is an even number, we can divide it by 2:
$$ 86 \div 2 = 43 $$
This shows that 2 is a divisor of 86.
- Conclusion about the number
Since 86 has divisors other than 1 and itself (specifically, 2 and 43), it is a composite number.
86 is a composite number.
More Information
Fun fact: The number 86 can be expressed as the product of its prime factors, which are 2 and 43, so $86 = 2 \times 43$.
Tips
Common mistakes include:
- Assuming that even numbers greater than 2 are prime. Remember, an even number greater than 2 is always composite since it can be divided by 2.
