Question

How many factors does a${}^2$ have, if 'a' is a prime number?
[2 marks]

Answer 1

a${}^2$ = 1 $\times$ a${}^2$
= 1 $\times$ a $\times$ a
As, 'a' is a prime number, so it cannot be broken down further.
[1 mark]

Hence, a${}^2$ can have only 3 factors (1, a, a${}^2$).
[1 mark]