How to Find the Greatest Common Factor
Finding the greatest common factor is easy.Question
What is the greatest common factor of the numbers 12 and 18?Step-by-Step:
1
2
List the factors of 18.
Factors of 18 = 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
3
The largest factor that appears in both lists is the greatest common factor.
Factors of 12 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 , 12
Factors of 18 = 1, 3, 6 , 9, 18
Answer:
6 is the greatest common factor of 12 and 18.What Is a Factor?
A factor is a number which divides exactly into another number. The numbers that are multiplied together to make another number are factors.What Is the Greatest Common Factor?
The greatest common factor is the largest factor that is common to two or more numbers.Finding the Greatest Common Factor of More Than Two Numbers
In the example in this lesson, the greatest common factor has been been found for two numbers. But the same method applies to any number of numbers.
This page was written by Stephen Clarke.
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