It depends how its used. 3 is a Prime number. 3 is a prime factor of 12.
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If you are talking about the number itself, they can be the same. To be specific: A prime number is a number that only has the factors 1 and itself. A factor is a number that when multiplied creates a product. A prime factor is a prime number that is multiplied to create a product.
same number multiplied by one
Prime number refers to what they are; prime factor refers to what they do. A number doesn't become a factor until it is multiplied. 2 and 3 are prime numbers. 2 and 3 are prime factors of 6.
There is no prime number from one to a hundred that has more factors than any other prime number. By definition, a prime number has exactly two factors, 1 and itself. The number 1 has only one factor - itself. All prime numbers have exactly the same number of factors - two. Composite numbers have more than two factors.
Why isn't 1 the lowest prime number?The definition of a prime number is: A number whose only factors are 1 and itself. Therefore meaning, 1 isn't a prime number because 1 and itself is the same number. Which makes, 2 the lowest prime number.