Is 148 a prime number?

The number 148 has got several factors that are capable of dividing the number completely without leaving any remainder. Thus, the number 148 is a non-prime number. The factors of 148 include 1, 2, 4, 37, 74, and 148.

A number is considered a prime number if it has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. Since 148 has more than two factors, it is not a prime number, but 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 checked whether the number is divisible by any numbers other than 1 and the number itself.

The counting divisors method for 148 would simply be:

Divisors of 148 = 1, 2, 4, 37, 74, 148
Number of divisors = 6

Since 148 has more than two divisors, it is a composite number.
 

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 has only 2 divisors: 1 and itself.

The divisors of 148 are 1, 2, 4, 37, 74, and 148.

Thus, 148 has 6 divisors, making it a composite number.
 

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

The list of prime numbers under 100 are:

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97.

Since 148 is not listed in the chart, it is not a prime number.
 

This method is used for non-prime numbers (composite numbers). Since 148 is a composite number, the prime factorization of 148 is:

Factors of 148 = 2 × 2 × 37 (or 2² × 37)
 

• 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 distinct positive divisors. For example, 148 is a composite number because it has the divisors 1, 2, 4, 37, 74, and 148.

• Divisor: A number that divides another number exactly without leaving a remainder. For example, 2 is a divisor of 148 because 148 ÷ 2 = 74 with no remainder.

• Prime Factorization: The process of expressing a number as the product of its prime factors. For example, the prime factorization of 148 is 2 × 2 × 37 (or 2² × 37).

• Divisibility Test: A method used to check if a number is divisible by another number without performing the actual division. For example, checking whether 148 is divisible by 2, 3, or 5 using simple divisibility rules.