answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

AnswerTo test if a number is prime or composite by hand, the easiest thing to do is test if it's divisible by numbers you know to be prime (start with 2, 3, 5, 7, and so on). If none of them divide it, once the numbers you're dividing by get bigger than the square root of the number you're testing (roughly - you don't need to waste time actually calculating the square root), you're done and know it's prime.

For example, here's how you'd test if 107 is prime:

It's odd, so it's not divisible by 2;

It's not divisible by 3 (use the divisibility rule: 1+0+7=8, not 3 or 6 or 9)

It's not divisible by 5 (doesn't end in 5 or 0)

It's not divisible by 7 (if it were, 107-7=100 would be divisible by 7, which we know isn't true)

At this point, we know it's prime, since we'd need to check 11 next. But 11*11=121, bigger than 107, so 11 is greater than the square root of 107.

For large numbers, the best thing to do is to use a computer.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: How can you work out prime numbers and composite numbers easily?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

To find a composite number why divide by prime numbers?

You could try dividing by composite numbers but the number that you are testing is divisible by a composite number, then it will be divisible by a prime factor of that composite number and that prime factor will be smaller. It is always easier to work with smaller numbers.


Show me the work to know if 0 is prime or composite?

A prime number has only 2 factors which are 1 and itself. Composite numbers are everything else except 1 and 0. 1 and 0 are neither prime, nor composite.


How do you turn a composite number into a prime?

There is no set formula to make a prime number into a composite but usually adding 1 will work. A prime number has only 2 factors which are 1 and itself. Composite numbers are everything else except 1, 2, and 0.


What is the greatest even 3-digit composite number?

Work back from 999:999 is odd ... no.998 is even and divisible by 2, so it is composite. (All even numbers are composite!)Further Information:-All even numbers are composite except for 2 which is a prime number.


What is the easiest way to figure out if numbers are prime or composite?

A prime number is one that is only divisible by 1 and itself. Just work out if it divides into anything. To do this try dividing the number by all prime numbers under its half way value.


How can knowing whether a number is prime or composite help as you work in math?

Among other things, a knowledge about prime numbers and factoring can help you in finding least common multiples and greatest common factors.


What is the peculiarity of prime numbers in sundaram sieve?

The sieve of Sundaram sieves out the composite numbers just as sieve of Eratosthenes does, but even numbers are not considered; the work of "crossing out" the multiples of 2 is done by the final double-and-increment step.


How do you work out composite numbers?

If a number has more than two factors, it's composite.


How many prime numbers are there between 100 and 130?

You can easily work it out. firstly, you know that the even numbers are not prime, so that leaves only ~15 numbers. You can check out each number. [hint you only have to test for factors of a number up to the square root of the number.]


How do you work out questions on prime factorization?

All composite numbers can be expressed as unique products of prime numbers. This is accomplished by dividing the original number and its factors by prime numbers until all the factors are prime. A factor tree can help you visualize this. Example: 210 210 Divide by two. 105,2 Divide by three. 35,3,2 Divide by five. 7,5,3,2 Stop. All the factors are prime. 2 x 3 x 5 x 7 = 210 That's the prime factorization of 210.


What is the longest string of consecutive composite numbers?

when i did this problem i was doing a eratosthenes sieve method and the numbers was from 1-100 so i got the longest string of consecutive composite numbers on the grid are 74-82 this should be right. BTW I'm 13 doing my moms college work Sorry, but 79 is a prime number. I got 90~96


Is 74 prime or composite show work?

It is a composite number because it has at least one positive factor other than one or itself.