Is 72 a prime number?
No, 72 is not a prime number. It is divisible by 2: 72 = 2 × 36.
Is 72 prime?
Pick any whole number from 1 to 10,000.
How to work it out
- 1
A prime number has exactly two factors: 1 and itself.
- 2
It is enough to test the primes up to √72 ≈ 8.49. If none of them divides 72, it is prime.
- 3
2 divides 72 exactly, so it is not prime. Its prime factorisation is
LaTeX source of the formulas on this page
\[ 72 = 2^{3} \times 3^{2} \]Testing 72 by the primes up to its square root
| Prime | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 72 ÷ 2 | divides exactly (36) |
| 3 | 72 ÷ 3 | divides exactly (24) |
| 5 | 72 ÷ 5 | leaves 2 |
| 7 | 72 ÷ 7 | leaves 2 |
Questions
Is 72 a prime number?
No, 72 is not a prime number. It is divisible by 2: 72 = 2 × 36.
What is the next prime after 72?
73.
What is the prime number before 72?
71.
What are the factors of 72?
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 72.