Is 2 a prime number?
2 is a prime number, and the only even one.
The answer
Yes. 2 is a prime number: its only factors are 1 and 2. It is the only even prime number.
Why 2 is prime
There is no whole number between 1 and 2, so nothing else can go into 2 exactly. Its only factors are 1 and 2.
2 is the only even prime. Every other even number can be divided by 2, so it has at least three factors: 1, 2 and itself.
Where 2 comes among the primes
2 is the 1st prime number, the very first one.
There are 25 prime numbers up to 100: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89 and 97.
Around 2
- 2 is in only one times table, its own, as 2 × 1. The next answer in it is 2 × 2 = 4.
- The nearest square number is 1 (1 × 1), 1 below it.
2 at a glance
- In words
- two
- In Roman numerals
- II
- Odd or even
- Even: it ends in 2
- Its factors add up to
- 3, or 1 without 2 itself, which makes 2 a deficient number
Related pages
More numbers
Questions parents ask
Is 2 one of a pair of twin primes?
No. Twin primes are two primes 2 apart, such as 3 and 5. 0 and 4 are not prime, so 2 has no twin.
What is 2 × 2?
2 × 2 = 4. The square of a prime has exactly three factors: 1, 2 and 4.
What is the next prime number after 2?
3. 2 and 3 are the only two primes next to each other, because every other pair of neighbours includes an even number bigger than 2.
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.