Which of the numbers is a prime number?
To determine which of the given numbers is a prime number, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Check the number 39.
39 is divisible by 3 (since 3 + 9 = 12, which is divisible by 3), so it has divisors other than 1 and itself, and thus 39 is not prime.
- Step 2: Check the number 34.
34 is divisible by 2 (as it's an even number), so it has divisors other than 1 and itself, and thus 34 is not prime.
- Step 3: Check the number 42.
42 is divisible by 2 (as it's an even number), so it has divisors other than 1 and itself, and thus 42 is not prime.
- Step 4: Check the number 37.
For a number to be prime, it should not be divisible by any numbers other than 1 and itself. We check divisibility of 37 by numbers up to its square root (~6.08), which are 2, 3, and 5.
- 37 is not divisible by 2 (as it is odd).
- 37 is not divisible by 3 (as 3 + 7 = 10, which is not divisible by 3).
- 37 is not divisible by 5 (as it does not end in 0 or 5).
Since 37 is not divisible by any integer other than 1 and 37 itself, it is a prime number.
Therefore, the solution to the problem is 37.