A composite number n is a positive integer 1 which is not prime (i.e., which has factors other than 1 and itself). The first few composite numbers (sometimes called "composites" for short) are 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, ... (Sloane's A002808), which can be written 2^2, 2.3, 2^3, 3^2, 2.5, 2^2.3, 2.7, 3.5, and 2^4, respectively. The number 1 is a special case which is considered to be neither composite nor prime.
mr_wonderful
2006-02-23 19:50:59 UTC
A composite number is any number that is not prime, with the exception of 1 and 0. Composite numbers have at least 3 factors
2006-02-23 18:51:24 UTC
A number which has more than two factors. For example 20 is a composite number because it is divisible by 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, and 20.
The opposite of composite is prime. Prime numbers only have two factors: 1 and itself. For example 19 is only divisible by 1 and 19.
Don't forget that the number 1 is neither because it only has one factor!
Tennis Chick Alex
2006-02-23 18:48:26 UTC
Composite-it's factors are more then itself and 1.
Example- 10:1, 2, 5, and 10
Butterfly_kat
2006-02-23 18:47:06 UTC
a number that has more than two numbers besides the number and one
like 4 has the factors 1, 2, and 4
kirbyfan9000
2006-02-23 19:11:49 UTC
a number that can be divided by anything other than 1 and itself
2 is the only even prime number
1 and 0 are not prime nor composite
scorpionwhiz
2006-02-23 18:50:49 UTC
a whole number that has more than two factors.
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