Prime and

Composite
6 Numbers
Number and Algebra
Workbook
Identify and describe properties of prime, composite, square and triangular numbers
(ACMNA122)
Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Prime Numbers
Prime numbers are numbers were the only factors are 1 and itself.

For example, the factors of the number 7 are 1 and 7. 7 is a prime number. The factors of 8 are 1,
8, 2 and 4. 8 is not a prime number, it is a composite number.

1. Find the factors of these numbers and circle if it is a prime or composite number.

2 Prime or Composite

9 Prime or Composite

11 Prime or Composite

22 Prime or Composite

31 Prime or Composite

The Sieve of Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes was an Ancient Greek mathematician. He discovered an easy way to find the find prime
numbers. Follow these steps to find all prime numbers less than 100.
1. Cross out 1 as it is not a prime
number.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. Cross out multiples of 2
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
3. Cross out multiples of 3
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
4. Cross out multiples of 5 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

5. Cross out multiples of 7 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
6. The remaining numbers are
prime. Write them below: 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

________________________ 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
________________________
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
________________________

________________________
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Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Factor Trees
We can break up a number in to it lowest
factors. This is called prime factorisation. We 24
can use a factor tree to help us organise our
thinking.
2 12
The prime factorisation of 24 is:
2 6
2x2x2x3
2 3

1. Complete these factor trees and write the prime factorisation below.

a) b)
20 32

2 4

c) d)
56 72

7 8

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2. Create your own factor tree for these numbers. Write the prime factorisation below.

a) 100 b) 126

c) 145 d) 231

3. What number are these the prime factors for?

a) 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 = ________ d) 2 x 3 x 3 = ________

b) 2 x 3 x 3 x 5 = ________ b) 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 = ________

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Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Prime or Composite Sort

Sort the following equations based on whether the answer results in a prime or
composite number

Answer is Prime Answer is Odd

4 x 12 = 3311 x 2 = 921 - 412 =

63 - 21 = 416 - 317 = 718 + 412 =

12 x 7 = 73 - 20 = 172 - 132 =

3x3x8= 4 x 18 = 9x9=

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Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Prime and Composite: Who am I?

1. I am a one digit number. I am an even number. I am a prime number.

Who am I? _________

2. I am a composite number. I have a 5 units place. I am a multiple of 11.

Who am I? _________

3. I am greater than 70. I am a prime number. I have a 9 in the tens place.

Who am I? _________

4. I am a prime number. I am less than 40. The sum of my digits equals 8.

Who am I? _________

5. I am an even number. I am the largest composite number that is less than 20. I have a 1
in the tens place.

Who am I? _________

I am a composite number. I am an even number greater than 7. I am a common factor of

12 and 36.

Who am I? _________

Create two different Who I am? puzzle. Use three clues to describe your number. Give them
to a friend to solve.

Who am I? ________ Who am I? ________

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Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Square Numbers
4 x 4 = 16 or 42 = 16

When a whole number is multiplied by itself, the answer is known as a ‘square number’.

1. Answer the multiplication sums then match it to its array.

3 x 3 = ______

3 x 2 = ______

6 x 6 = ______

2 x 7 = ______

2. Why do you think ‘square numbers’ have been given that name?

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3. Find the answers to these equations. Circle the square numbers.

4 x 2 = __________ 8 x 7 = __________ 8 x 5 = __________ 4 x 4 = __________

3 x 4 = __________ 9 x 9 = __________ 6 x 6 = __________ 1 x 9 = __________

5 x 5 = __________ 5 x 2 = __________ 7 x 7 = __________ 5 x 5 = __________

4. Complete the multiplication chart below. Colour all the square numbers.

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10

5. Henry said that 120 is a square number. Is he correct? Explain why or why not.

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Name:_________________________ Date: _________________

Triangular Numbers
A triangular number counts the objects that can form an equilateral triangle.

1 3 6 10 15

1 is counted as a triangular number, then 3, 6, 10, 15, 21 and so on.

Continue the pattern above to draw dots to represent the triangular numbers up to 10 rows.
Write the sum for each row in the table below.

No.
Row of Sum of Rows
Dots
1 1 1

2 3 1+2

3 6 1+ 2 + 3

4 10
5

10

Describe the pattern you see forming. How many dots would be in 15 rows?

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