Prime Numbers, Prime Factors and Composite Numbers 2 - Reasoning

In this exercise focused on prime numbers, prime factors, and composite numbers, students are tasked with identifying and categorizing prime numbers into a table. The table is divided into three columns: 1-digit prime numbers, prime numbers less than 60, and 2-digit prime numbers. Students are given a selection of numbers – 25, 3, 19, 59, 87, 57, 2, 51 – and must choose the prime numbers from this list to place in the appropriate columns of the table.

Upon closer inspection, students may notice that while some numbers, like 25, 87, 57, and 51, might initially appear to be prime, they are not actually prime because they have more factors than just 1 and themselves. The activity encourages students to verify the factors of each number to determine its primality. The prime numbers from the given selection are 3, 19, 59, and 2. These numbers should be added to the table under the correct headings: 2 and 3 are 1-digit prime numbers, and all four numbers are prime numbers less than 60, with 19 and 59 also fitting into the 2-digit prime numbers category. This exercise helps students to understand and recognize prime numbers and distinguish them from composite numbers.