Fill in the blanks:
The smallest composite number is____

Answer

To find the smallest composite number, we need to understand what a composite number is. A composite number is defined as a number that has more than two distinct positive factors. This means that it can be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 and itself.

Let's go through the steps to identify the smallest composite number:

### Step 1: Understand the definition of composite numbers
- A composite number has more than two factors.
- The factors of a number are the numbers that can divide it evenly without leaving a remainder.

### Step 2: Identify the smallest numbers and their factors
- Let's look at the first few natural numbers:
- **1**: Factors are {1} (not composite)
- **2**: Factors are {1, 2} (not composite, it is a prime number)
- **3**: Factors are {1, 3} (not composite, it is a prime number)
- **4**: Factors are {1, 2, 4} (this has three factors, so it is composite)

### Step 3: Confirm that 4 is the smallest composite number
- Since 4 is the first number that has more than two factors (1, 2, and 4), it is the smallest composite number.

### Conclusion
The smallest composite number is **4**.

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