ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Prime Numbers

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Prime Numbers

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime integers. \(\displaystyle 60 < M < 70\) and \(\displaystyle 80 < N < 90\). What is the minimum value of \(\displaystyle M + N\) ?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 146\)

\(\displaystyle 150\)

\(\displaystyle 144\)

\(\displaystyle 142\)

\(\displaystyle 148\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 144\)

Explanation:

The least prime integer between 60 and 70 is 61, so this is the minimum value of \(\displaystyle M\). The least prime integer between 80 and 90 is 83, so this is the minimum value of \(\displaystyle N\). Since 

\(\displaystyle M \geq 61\) and \(\displaystyle N \geq 83\),

then , by the addition property of inequality, 

\(\displaystyle M + N \geq 61 + 83 = 144\).

Example Question #83 : Numbers And Operations

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime integers. \(\displaystyle 40 < M < 50\) and \(\displaystyle 90 < N < 100\).

Which of the following sets gives all possible values of \(\displaystyle M + N\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 132, 134, 138, 140, 144\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 132, 134, 138 \right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 132, 134, 138, 140\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 134, 138, 140, 144\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 138, 140, 144\right \}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 138, 140, 144\right \}\)

Explanation:

There are three prime numbers between 40 and 50 - 41, 43, and 47 - so these are the possible values of \(\displaystyle M\). 97 is the only prime number between 90 and 100, so \(\displaystyle N = 97\)

If \(\displaystyle M = 41\), then \(\displaystyle M + N = 41 + 97 = 138\).

If \(\displaystyle M = 43\), then \(\displaystyle M + N = 43 + 97 = 140\).

If \(\displaystyle M = 47\), then \(\displaystyle M + N = 47 + 97 = 144\).

Example Question #82 : Factors / Multiples

Add all prime numbers between 10 and 100 that end in a 7.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 265\)

\(\displaystyle 332\)

\(\displaystyle 342\)

\(\displaystyle 168\)

\(\displaystyle 248\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 265\)

Explanation:

The  prime numbers between 10 and 100 that end in a 7 are 17, 37, 47, 67, and 97 (27, 57, and 87 all have 3 as a factor; 77 has 7 as a factor).

Their sum is \(\displaystyle 17 + 37 + 47 + 67 + 97 = 265\).

Example Question #34 : How To Find Out If A Number Is Prime

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime integers. \(\displaystyle 30 < M < 40\) and \(\displaystyle 70 < N < 80\).

Which of the following sets gives all possible values of \(\displaystyle N - M\) ?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 34, 36, 42 \right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{40, 42, 46\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{36, 42, 46\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46\right \}\)

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 34, 36, 40, 42, 46\right \}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 34, 36, 40, 42, 46\right \}\)

Explanation:

There are three prime numbers between 70 and 80 - 71, 73, and 79 - so these are the possible values of \(\displaystyle N\). There are two prime numbers between 30 and 40 - 31 and 37 - so these are the possible values of \(\displaystyle M\)

Therefore, we find \(\displaystyle N - M\) for six scenarios:

\(\displaystyle N = 71, M = 31 \Rightarrow N - M = 71-31 = 40\)

\(\displaystyle N = 73, M = 31 \Rightarrow N - M = 73-31 = 42\)

\(\displaystyle N = 79, M = 31 \Rightarrow N - M = 79-31= 46\)

\(\displaystyle N = 71, M = 37 \Rightarrow N - M = 71-37 = 34\)

\(\displaystyle N = 73, M = 37 \Rightarrow N - M = 73-37 = 36\)

\(\displaystyle N = 79, M = 37 \Rightarrow N - M = 71-37 = 42\)

The possible values of \(\displaystyle N - M\) are given by the set 

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 34, 36, 40, 42, 46\right \}\).

Example Question #85 : Numbers And Operations

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime integers. \(\displaystyle 30 < M < 40\) and \(\displaystyle 20 < N < 30\). What is the maximum value of \(\displaystyle M + N\) ?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 64\)

\(\displaystyle 60\)

\(\displaystyle 66\)

\(\displaystyle 62\)

\(\displaystyle 68\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 66\)

Explanation:

The greatest prime integer between 30 and 40 is 37, so this is the maximum value of \(\displaystyle M\). The greatest prime integer between 20 and 30 is 29, so this is the maximum value of \(\displaystyle N\). Since 

\(\displaystyle M \leq 37\) and \(\displaystyle N \leq 29\)

then, by the addition property of inequality, 

\(\displaystyle M + N \leq 37 + 29 = 66\).

Example Question #81 : Factors / Multiples

Which is the greater quantity?

(A) The number of primes between 100 and 200 that feature 7 as their middle digit

(B) The number of primes between 100 and 200 that feature 7 as their last digit

Possible Answers:

(A) is greater

(B) is greater

(A) and (B) are equal

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Correct answer:

(B) is greater

Explanation:

The numbers between 100 and 200 that feature 7 as their middle digit are 

\(\displaystyle \left \{170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179\right \}\)

We can immediately weed out the multiples of 2 and 5 by their last digit (0, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 8):

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 171, 173 ,177, 179\right \}\)

171 and 177 have digit sums 9 and 15, so both are multiples of 3 and can also be weeded out. This leaves 

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 173 , 179\right \}\)

By attempting to divide by 7, 11 and 13 (no others are necessary, since the square of 17 exceeds 200), we can see both of these numbers are prime. The set in (A) has these two elements.

A similar process can be used to find the primes from the set of numbers between 100 and 200 that feature 7 as their last digit, which is

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 107, 117, 127, 137, 147, 157, 167, 177, 187, 197\right \}\)

This time, since all numbers end in 7, we cannot weed out any multiples of 2 or 5. We can weed out 117, 147, and 177 as multiples of 3, since their digit sums are 9, 12, and 15, respectively. This leaves

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 107, 127, 137, 157, 167, 187, 197\right \}\)

Since \(\displaystyle 187 \div 11 = 17\), we can remove 187; there are no multiples of 13, and we need go no further. The primes are 

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 107, 127, 137, 157, 167, 197\right \}\).

The set in (B) has six elements and is the set of greater cardinality. (B) is greater.

Example Question #32 : Prime Numbers

Which is the greater quantity?

(A) The number of primes between 100 and 200 that feature 3 as their last digit

(B) The number of primes between 100 and 200 that feature 9 as their last digit

Possible Answers:

(B) is greater

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

(A) is greater

(A) and (B) are equal

Correct answer:

(A) and (B) are equal

Explanation:

The numbers between 100 and 200 that feature 3 as their last digit are 

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 103, 113, 123, 133, 143, 153, 163, 173, 183, 193\right \}\).

There are no multiples of 2 or 5 here, as no multiple of 2 or 5 ends in 3. Also, 123, 153, and 183 have digit sums 6, 9, and 12, respectively. This immediately identifies them as multiples of 3, which can be removed to leave:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 103, 113, 133, 143, 163, 173, 193\right \}\)

Of the remaining numbers:

\(\displaystyle 133 = 7 \times 19\)

\(\displaystyle 143 = 11 \times 13\)

No prime factorization can be found for the other integers, so the set of numbers given in (A) is the set

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 103, 113, 163, 173, 193\right \}\),

a set with five elements.

 

A similar process can be used to identify the primes ending in 9; the numbers between 100 and 200 that feature 9 as their last digit are 

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 109, 119, 129, 139, 149, 159, 169, 179, 189, 199\right \}\)

There are no multiples of 2 or 5 here, as no multiple of 2 or 5 ends in 9. Also, 129, 159, and 189 have digit sums 12, 15, and 18 respectively. This immediately identifies them as multiples of 3, which can be removed to leave:

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 109, 119, 139, 149, 169, 179, 199\right \}\)

Of the remaining numbers,

\(\displaystyle 119 = 7 \times 17\)

\(\displaystyle 169 = 13 \times 13\)

No prime factorization can be found for the other integers, so the set of numbers given in (B) is the set

\(\displaystyle \left \{ 109, 139, 149, 179, 199\right \}\)

which also has five elements.

The sets described in (A) and (B) have the same cardinality and therefore, the quantities are equal.

Example Question #84 : Numbers And Operations

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime numbers. 

\(\displaystyle 60 < M < 70 < N < 80\)

Which is the greater quantity?

(A) \(\displaystyle N - M\)

(B) 10

Possible Answers:

(A) and (B) are equal

(A) is greater

(B) is greater

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Correct answer:

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Explanation:

We show that it cannot be determined whether \(\displaystyle M-N\) is greater than, less than, or equal to 10 by choosing two primes within the given ranges and subtracting.

Case 1:

\(\displaystyle N = 71; M = 67 \Rightarrow N - M = 71-67 = 4 < 10\)

Case 2:

\(\displaystyle N = 79; M = 61 \Rightarrow N - M = 79 - 61= 18 > 10\)

In each case, \(\displaystyle 60 < M < 70 < N < 80\), with \(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) prime.

Example Question #31 : Prime Numbers

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime numbers. 

\(\displaystyle 80 < M < 90 < N < 100\)

Which is the greater quantity?

(A) \(\displaystyle M + N\)

(B) 175

Possible Answers:

(A) is greater

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

(B) is greater

(A) and (B) are equal

Correct answer:

(A) is greater

Explanation:

97 is the only prime number between 90 and 100, so \(\displaystyle N = 97\). The only two primes between 80 and 90 are 83 and 89, so \(\displaystyle M = 83\) or \(\displaystyle M = 89\). Therefore, either of the following holds:

\(\displaystyle M + N = 83 + 97 = 180 > 175\)

or 

\(\displaystyle M + N = 89 + 97 = 186 > 175\)

(A) must be the greater quantity regardless.

Example Question #32 : Prime Numbers

\(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) are prime numbers. 

\(\displaystyle 30 < M < 40 < N < 50\)

Which is the greater quantity?

(A) \(\displaystyle M + N\)

(B) 80

Possible Answers:

(B) is greater

(A) and (B) are equal

(A) is greater

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Correct answer:

It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given

Explanation:

We show that it cannot be determined whether \(\displaystyle M + N\) is greater than, less than, or equal to 80 by choosing two pairs of primes within the given ranges and adding.

Case 1:

\(\displaystyle M = 31, N = 41 \Rightarrow M + N = 31+ 41 = 72 < 80\).

Case 2:

\(\displaystyle M = 37, N = 47 \Rightarrow M + N = 37+ 47 = 84 > 80\)

In each case, \(\displaystyle 30 < M < 40 < N < 50\), with \(\displaystyle M\) and \(\displaystyle N\) prime.

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