Prime Numbers

[13gmorris]

A mechanic has a set of 23 spanners
Is it possible to put them in a toolbox so that he has the same number of spanners in each part of the box?
Explain your answer

[hc4361]

No, because 23 is a prime number. That means 23 cannot be divided by any whole number

[Calibax]

No. 23 is prime and so is only divisible by 1 and itself. The spanners cannot be divided equally into 2,3,4 or any other number of compartments.

[Prudie]

Only if the toolbox only has 1 section or exactly 23 sections. No other way to divide up 23.

[daveygh]

yes - if the toolbox has 23 parts to it then he would have 1 in each!

[Calibax]

Good thinking daveygh :o)

[weecalf]

What if he borrows a spanner ,that's the way these puzzles are usually sorted out .He borrows a spanner puts 4 in six compartments .Gives the spanner back when asked for it but stresses there was 4 there till tammy wanted his spanner back .Solved eh

[hc4361]

I like davey's answer. 23 compartments should be part of the answer.

[Peter Pedant]

because 23 has no prime factors and is therefore a prime number itself

I mean I dont think he has THOUGHT about this before zapping it on the internet.

He had only to search up to 5 to find out 23 is prime because you only have to search up the square root of the number you are investigating - sort of shortens search times - but I thought if I mentioned that his head might explode like in that scene from "Scanners"

[Peter Pedant]

yeah well spotted boys and giurlz
missed that one completely ( one isnt a prime)

[ichkeria]

The answer of course is 'yes'
Prime numbers DO have factors of course, as already covered
Maybe the title of the post is a deliberate red herring

[ichkeria]

All prime numbers have prime factors Peter!
They each have exactly one ...
All other numbers have at least one.
But you knew that ...

[Peter Pedant]

oops besides itself
yep missed that bit
thx

[Peter Pedant]

// No, because 23 is a prime number. That means 23 cannot be divided by any whole number//

ya narty bye !

I read this and said to myself YES ya sweet talking so and so
and shoujld have said to myself NO - it is divisible by a prime ( 23) and one

and then went on to write some more bolloz myself

you will go to maths hell hc

Oh and by the way - 23 can be divided by 2 - the answer is 11 1/2

[Prudie]

The actual definition of a prime is it has exactly and only 2 factors.
That's why 1 isn't one.

[fiction-factory]

13gmorris has left AnswerBank so may not be looking in. Yes, the title is a red herring but maybe his maths teacher included the question on a worksheet about primes. It seems an odd question though because the answer would have been yes for any positive whole number of spanners

[Prudie]

Just noticed, how odd, rather than prime,to join and go user-inactive on the same day.

[zebo]

He could do 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 which is a bit organised! Or 11,1,11, that's about 11 1/2 each side.