Let $X$ be a projective variety and let $\tilde{X}$ be the blow-up of $X$ at a subscheme $Z$. Let $F$ be the exceptional divisor of $\tilde{X}$. I wonder:
What is the number of irreducible components of $F$?
Note that this number depends strongly on the scheme structure on $Z$. For example, when $Z$ is a line in $\mathbb{P}^2$ with an embedded point, $F$ has two components, whereas the blow-up of a line has only one. So is it true in general that the number of components of $F$ is at least the number of associated primes of $Z$? (I am mostly interested in a lower bound for this number.)