Which of the following is a characteristic of composite numbers?

A characteristic of composite numbers is that they have more than two factors. Composite numbers are defined as integers greater than one that can be divided by numbers other than just one and themselves, meaning they have additional divisors. For instance, the number 4 can be divided by 1, 2, and 4, making it a composite number because it has not just one and itself as factors.

Other options do not accurately describe composite numbers. Being only divisible by one and itself is the defining property of prime numbers, not composite ones. The option stating composite numbers are less than 1 is incorrect, as a composite number must be greater than one. Lastly, the claim that composite numbers are only found above ten is misleading, as there are several composite numbers below ten, such as 4, 6, 8, and 9. Therefore, the defining trait of composite numbers having more than two factors clearly supports the correctness of this choice.