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Putting proof steps in order for all integers n > 1. If n is not a perfect square, then n has an even number of factors.

a) True
b) False

1 Answer

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Final answer:

For integers that are not perfect squares, they will have an even number of factors, and this statement is true.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that for all integers n > 1, if n is not a perfect square, then n has an even number of factors is True. When n is a perfect square, it has an odd number of factors because one factor (the square root) is counted only once. In contrast, when n is not a perfect square, factors come in pairs (a, b) where a is not equal to b and a * b = n, resulting in an even count of factors. For example, the number 10 has factors 1, 2, 5, and 10, which counts to four factors, an even number.

Regarding the True or False question about displacement, the statement is False. Displacement is a vector quantity which means it depends on the shortest path between the start and end point, not on the path taken. As such, both persons described in the question—the one walking 2 blocks east and then 5 blocks north, and the one walking 5 blocks north and then 2 blocks east—end up at the same point relative to their starting point, therefore they have the same displacement.

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