Which statement is true about prime numbers?

Which statement is true about prime numbers?

• A. A prime number has exactly one distinct positive divisor.
• B. A prime number has more than two divisors.
• C. A prime number has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself.
• D. A prime number is divisible by every integer.

Answer: (C)

A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself. That simple idea is what separates primes from other numbers. If a number had only one positive divisor, that would be 1, but primes must have two divisors, so the first statement isn’t true for primes. If a prime had more than two divisors, it wouldn’t be prime. And a prime isn’t divisible by every integer—only 1 and the number itself divide it. So the statement that captures the truth is that a prime has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself.

A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself. That simple idea is what separates primes from other numbers. If a number had only one positive divisor, that would be 1, but primes must have two divisors, so the first statement isn’t true for primes. If a prime had more than two divisors, it wouldn’t be prime. And a prime isn’t divisible by every integer—only 1 and the number itself divide it. So the statement that captures the truth is that a prime has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself.