Building Blocks of Numbers

Number Theory · Axiom Academy

INTRO Building Blocks of Numbers Discover the atomic structure hidden within every number. Step 1: Discover the Special Numbers Click on any number to reveal whether it's prime or composite . Can you find a pattern? Step 2: Breaking Down Composite Numbers Select a composite number to see how it breaks down into prime factors—its unique "prime DNA." Step 3: Build Numbers from Primes Use sliders to multiply prime numbers together and create composite numbers. See how primes combine! Use the slider to explore different numbers and see their unique prime factorizations. Primes (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13...) cannot be broken down into smaller factors. They are the mathematical equivalent of atoms. Every composite number can be expressed as a unique product of primes. This is called prime factorization, and it's different for every number. Just as atoms combine to form molecules, primes multiply together to create every other integer. Understanding primes helps us understand all numbers!

This is the written version of the interactive lesson above. See the full Number Theory course.