Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Practice Exam

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Which of the following best describes a prime number?

A number with only two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself
A number that can be divided evenly by any number
A number greater than one with more than two factors
A negative integer without factors

The correct answer is: A number with only two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself

A prime number is defined as a natural number greater than one that has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself. This means that a prime number cannot be divided evenly by any other numbers apart from these two. For example, the number 5 is a prime number because it can only be divided evenly by 1 and 5. The other descriptions do not accurately fit the definition of a prime number. A number that can be divided evenly by any number does not reflect the characteristics of a prime since all prime numbers are selective in their divisibility. A number that is greater than one and has more than two factors is classified as a composite number, not a prime. Lastly, a negative integer cannot be a prime number by definition, as primes are considered only among positive integers.