Is 2012 a prime number?

The number 2012 has got 6 factors, that are capable of dividing the number completely without leaving any remainder. Thus, the number 2012 is a non-prime number. The factors of 2012 include 1, 2, 4, 503, 1006, and 2012. 

A number to be a prime number should follow the criteria that it should not have factors more than 2. Here, 2012 has more than 2 factors, hence making it a composite number.

Given below are a few ways that can be used to find prime or composite numbers.

The different methods we can use to check if a number is a prime number are explained below:

1. Counting Divisors Method
2. Divisibility Test
3. Prime Number Chart
4. Prime Factorization
    

For the counting divisors method, it is to be checked whether the number is divisible by any numbers other than 1 and the number itself.

The counting divisors method for 2012 would simply be:

Divisors of 2012 = 1, 2, 4, 503, 1006, 2012
Number of divisors = 6

The number 2012 can be considered composite.
 

In the division test, we try to divide the number by any of the prime numbers. If we cannot, then it is considered a prime number.

In the divisibility method, a prime number only has 2 divisors, which are 1 and itself.

The divisors of 2012 are 1, 2, 4, 503, 1006, and 2012.

Thus, 2012 consists of 6 factors that divide it completely without any remainder.
 

The prime number chart is the list of prime numbers starting from 2 to infinity.

The list of prime numbers from 2000 to 2100 are:

2003, 2011, 2017, 2027, 2029, 2039, 2053, 2063, 2069, 2081, 2083, 2087, 2089, 2099

2012 is not present in the list, it is not a prime number.
 

This method is only used for a non-prime number/composite number. Since 2012 is a composite number, the prime factorization for 2012 is:

Factors of 2012 = 2 × 2 × 503.
 

• Prime Number: A natural number greater than 1 that has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself. For example, 2, 3, and 5 are prime numbers.

• Composite Number: A natural number greater than 1 that has more than two divisors. In other words, it is a number that is not prime because it can be divided by numbers other than 1 and itself. For example, 4, 6, and 2012 are composite numbers.

• Divisor: A number that divides another number without leaving a remainder. For example, 2 is a divisor of 2012 because 2012 ÷ 2 = 1006.

• Prime Factorization: The process of breaking down a composite number into its prime factors. For example, the prime factorization of 2012 is 2 × 2 × 503.

• Divisibility Test: A method used to check whether a number can be divided by another number without leaving a remainder. For example, 2012 is divisible by 2 because 2012 ÷ 2 = 1006.