To determine how many whole numbers divide 30 exactly, we need to find the divisors of 30. A divisor is a number that divides 30 without leaving a remainder.

First, let's find the divisors of 30 by breaking it down into its prime factorization:

$30 = 2 \times 3 \times 5$

The divisors of 30 are all possible products of the prime factors $2$, $3$, and $5$ (including 1). These divisors are:

$1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 30$

There are 8 divisors in total. Therefore, the correct answer is eight.

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Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are five questions to expand on this concept:

1. What is the prime factorization of other numbers like 60 or 100?
2. How do you find the number of divisors from the prime factorization?
3. How many divisors does a perfect square like 36 have?
4. What is the difference between prime and composite divisors?
5. How are divisors related to the greatest common divisor (GCD)?

Tip: To quickly find the number of divisors, use the exponents in the prime factorization and apply the divisor formula.