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Is 14 a prime number?

14 is not a prime number. Here is the quickest way to see it.

The answer

No. 14 is not a prime number: 2 × 7 = 14.

How to see that 14 is not prime

14 is even, and every even number can be divided by 2, so 2 is a factor as well as 1 and 14.

14 has four factors: 1 and 14, plus one pair in between, 2 and 7.

Split 14 into prime factors

14 splits straight into two primes, 2 × 7, so its factor tree has only one branch.

14 in the times tables

14 turns up in 2 different times tables, the 2 and 7: 2 × 7 and 7 × 2.

Quick checks that catch 14

  • The last digit, 4, is even, so 2 goes in.

14 at a glance

In words
fourteen
In Roman numerals
XIV
Odd or even
Even: it ends in 4
Its factors add up to
24, or 10 without 14 itself, which makes 14 a deficient number

The numbers either side of 14

  • 13 is prime: 2 and 3 do not go into it, and 5 × 5 is already past 13. Check 13 in full
  • 15 is not prime. Its digits add up to 1 + 5 = 6, which is a multiple of 3. That means 15 is a multiple of 3 too, so 3 is a factor. Check 15 in full

Turn the digits round

14 backwards is 41. 41 is prime: 2, 3 and 5 do not go into it, and 7 × 7 is already past 41. Check 41 in full

Related pages

More numbers

Questions parents ask

Which prime numbers are either side of 14?

13 below it and 17 above it, a gap of 4.

What is 14 squared?

14 × 14 = 196.

What is the smallest number with as many factors as 14?

6. It has 4 factors, the same as 14.

Number facts are the base of 11+ maths

Factors, multiples, primes and square numbers come up all over 11+ maths, from simplifying fractions to ratio. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.