Explore Composite Numbers: Fill in the Blanks with 3

Question

Fill in the blanks for a composite number:

3 \square3

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we need to determine which number of the form 3 \square3 is composite. A composite number has more than two distinct positive divisors.

  • Step 1: Possible numbers from the format 3 \square3 are 13, 23, 33, and 43.
  • Step 2: Check divisibility and identify which numbers are not prime:
  • 13 13 : Prime number as its only divisors are 1 and 13.
  • 23 23 : Prime number as its only divisors are 1 and 23.
  • 33 33 : Composite, divisible by 1, 3, 11, and 33.
  • 43 43 : Prime number as its only divisors are 1 and 43.

Step 3: From the analysis, 33 is a composite number.

Therefore, filling the blank with the digit 3 gives the composite number 33 33 .

Thus, the solution to the problem is to fill the blank with 3 3 to form a composite number.

Answer

3 3