What are the factors of 23? Is 23 prime or composite?

The number 23 has a unique status in mathematics. It is classified as a prime number, which means it has only two distinct factors: 1 and itself.

Understanding Prime and Composite Numbers

To clarify:

• Prime Number: A number greater than 1 that cannot be formed by multiplying two smaller natural numbers. For example, 23 can only be divided evenly by 1 and 23.
• Composite Number: A number that has more than two factors. For instance, 4 can be divided by 1, 2, and 4.

Summary of Factors

Thus, the factors of 23 are:

• 1
• 23

In summary, since 23 has no other factors besides 1 and itself, it is indeed a prime number.