Download SOL 5.3a Identify and describe the characteristics of prime and

SOL 5.3a Identify and describe the characteristics of
prime and composite numbers.
What you need to know: How to tell what a prime and composite
number are, and tell how you identify them. (Up to the number 100)
Key Vocabulary:
1) Factors- numbers that are multiplied together
2) Prime number- a natural number that has only one and itself as
factors
3) Composite number- a natural number that has more than one and
itself as factors
How to do it: (Identifying and describing prime and composite
Numbers)
Step 1: Write down the given number and underline it.
Step 2: Underneath the underlined number, list the factors that
can make that number.
Step 3: Examine the number of factors. If there are more factors
than the number given and one, then it is composite. If
the only factors are the given number itself and one, then
it is prime.
• Remember that the number one is neither prime nor composite,
because it has only one factor, itself!
Example of Identifying a prime and composite number.
1) Is 23 prime or composite?
23
1 x 23
The only factors of 23 are
1 and 23, so it is prime!
2) Is 49 prime or composite?
49
1 x 49
7x7
The number 49 has two
sets of factors so it is
composite!