Prime numbers & factorisation
AQA GCSE Maths revision on Prime numbers & factorisation. Aligned to the AQA GCSE Mathematics 8300 specification. This bank has 16 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 16)
-
Question 1
A student claims that all odd numbers are prime numbers. Which of the following numbers provides a counter-example to this claim?
- A) 3
- B) 9
- C) 11
- D) 13
Show answer
Answer: 9
A prime number is defined as a natural number greater than 1 that has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. Since 9 can be divided by 1, 3, and 9, it is a composite number, proving that not all odd numbers are prime.
-
Question 2
Why is the number 1 not classified as a prime number?
- A) It is neither prime nor composite
- B) It is an even number
- C) It is too small
- D) It is a multiple of every number
Show answer
Answer: It is neither prime nor composite
The definition of a prime number requires it to have exactly two distinct factors: 1 and the number itself. Because 1 has only one factor (itself), it fails to meet the criteria for being prime, and it is also not composite as it cannot be expressed as a product of smaller primes.
-
Question 3
If a number has a prime factorisation of 2^3 x 3^2, what is the mathematical term for the result of multiplying these factors together?
Show answer
Answer: Product
When you perform the multiplication of prime factors to find the original integer, the outcome is mathematically referred to as the product. This term distinguishes the result of multiplication from the result of addition, which is a sum.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
13 more questions on Prime numbers & factorisation — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Maths spec.