What is the next prime number after 11?

The next prime number after 11 is 13. By definition, a prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself.

To confirm that 13 is a prime number, we can test for divisibility by prime numbers less than its square root (which is about 3.6). The only prime numbers to check are 2 and 3.

• 13 is an odd number, so it is not divisible by 2.
• When you divide 13 by 3, the result is not a whole number (13 divided by 3 equals approximately 4.33).

Since 13 is not divisible by any prime number up to its square root, it qualifies as a prime number.

In contrast, the other choices do not fit the definition of prime numbers. The numbers 12, 14, and 15 can all be divided evenly by numbers other than 1 and themselves, making them composite numbers. For example:

• 12 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.
• 14 can be divided by 1, 2, 7, and 14