Can a Prime Number be Negative?

Answer: No, a prime number cannot be negative because prime numbers are defined as natural numbers greater than 1 with exactly two distinct positive divisors.

Definition of Prime Numbers

Prime numbers are natural numbers greater than 1 and have exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and the number itself.

Examples include 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and so on.

Negative Numbers and Prime Definition

For a number to be a prime number, it must be a natural number, it must also be greater than 1 and at last, it should have positive divisors. Since negative numbers are not natural numbers, they are smaller than 1 and because they do not have any positive divisors, they are not prime number.

Hence, negative numbers are not prime numbers because they are smaller than 1, are not natural number and don’t have positive divisors.