FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

Which statement accurately defines composite numbers?

1. Numbers with only two factors, 1 and itself

2. Whole numbers greater than 1 with more than two factors

3. Any whole number

4. Always even numbers

The correct answer is: Whole numbers greater than 1 with more than two factors

The statement that defines composite numbers accurately is that they are whole numbers greater than 1 with more than two factors. A composite number can be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 and itself, which means it has multiple factors. For instance, the number 4 is composite because it can be divided by 1, 2, and 4. In contrast, the other statements do not correctly define composite numbers. The first statement refers to prime numbers, which have exactly two distinct factors. The third statement is too broad, as it includes all whole numbers, which encompasses primes and composites. Finally, the fourth statement is inaccurate because composite numbers can be both even and odd (like 9, which is odd but composite). Therefore, the defining characteristic of composite numbers is having more than two factors while being greater than 1.