Q1. [1] § 1.1 Introduction § 1.2 The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic § 1.3 Revisiting Irrational Numbers
The natural number 1 is :
- A a prime number.
- B a composite number.
- C prime as well as composite.
- D neither prime nor composite.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 30/2/1 Q2
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 10:30 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Answer: D — neither prime nor composite.
The number 1 has only one factor (itself), so it is neither a prime (which requires exactly two distinct factors) nor a composite number.
Source: Chapter 1, Section 1.2 — Real Numbers
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Explanation
- A prime number has exactly two distinct factors: 1 and itself. Since 1 has only one factor, it does not qualify.
- A composite number has more than two factors. 1 does not qualify here either.
- The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic treats 1 separately — it is neither prime nor composite. Examiners expect students to know this standard definition precisely.
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