Lesson eLearning

Explain why is a composite number.

easy 2 marks Class 10 · Mathematics · Real Numbers
Answer
It equals , which has factors other than and itself, so it is composite.

Step-by-step solution

  1. Look for a factor common to both terms. Both and contain .
  2. Take out as a common factor: .
  3. Simplify inside the bracket: .
  4. So the number is .
  5. A composite number is one with at least one factor other than and itself. Here both and are such factors.
  6. Therefore is composite.
Common mistake: Multiplying everything out to first and then hunting for factors. Taking the common factor out immediately gives the answer in one step.

Concept tested: Composite numbers and factorisation

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