Is 17 a prime number or a composite number? prime number composite number

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Definition of Prime and Composite Numbers: A prime number is a number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. A composite number is a number that has at least one positive divisor other than 1 and itself. To determine if 17 is a prime number or a composite number, we need to check if it has any divisors other than 1 and 17.Check Divisibility by Prime Numbers: We start by checking if 17 is divisible by any prime number less than or equal to the square root of 17. The square root of 17 is approximately 4.12, so we only need to check for divisibility by the prime numbers 2, 3, and 5.Check Divisibility by 2: First, check if 17 is divisible by 2. Since 17 is an odd number, it is not divisible by 2.Check Divisibility by 3: Next, check if 17 is divisible by 3. The sum of the digits of 17 (1 + 7) is 8, which is not divisible by 3. Therefore, 17 is not divisible by 3.Check Divisibility by 5: Finally, check if 17 is divisible by 5. Any number that ends with a 5 or 0 is divisible by 5, and since 17 does not end with a 5 or 0, it is not divisible by 5.Conclusion: 17 is a Prime Number: Since 17 is not divisible by any prime number less than or equal to its square root, it has no divisors other than 1 and itself. Therefore, 17 is a prime number.

Is $17$ a prime number or a composite number? $\newline$ Choices: $\newline$ (A) prime number $\newline$ (B) composite number

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Is $17$ a prime number or a composite number? $\newline$ Choices: $\newline$ (A) prime number $\newline$ (B) composite number