The Smallest Composite Number is

The smallest composite number is _____. 

(a) 2 

(b) 4 

(c) 1 

(d) none of these

Answer: option (b) 4

Explanation: By the definition of a composite number, it is a number that has other divisors besides 1 and the number itself. Here, “1” is not a composite number because the divisor is 1. Also, “2” is not a composite number because there are only two divisors of 1 and 2, but 4 is different. The divisors are 1, 2, and 4. Therefore, 2 is a divisor of 4 along with 1, so this number meets the above criteria for composite numbers. Therefore, the answer is 4