What is the largest prime number that is less than 100?

• A. 97
• B. 89
• C. 91
• D. 83

Answer: (A)

To determine the largest prime number less than 100, it's essential to understand what a prime number is. A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. This means it cannot be formed by multiplying two smaller natural numbers.

First, let's identify the prime numbers less than 100. These include: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, and 97. Among these identified primes, the last one listed below 100 is 97.

Since 97 has no divisors other than 1 and 97 itself, it qualifies as a prime number. Additionally, any number that could be considered larger than 97, such as 99 or 100, are not prime, as they are divisible by smaller numbers (for instance, 99 is divisible by 3 and 33, and 100 is divisible by 2, 5, and