Fractions - Least Common Multiple

I. To find the Least Common Multiple for two integers, such as 14 and 35,
start by setting up a factor tree for each of the integers. 14 is 2 • 7 and 35
is 7 • 5. The LCM comes from multiplying the factors together, but since
the 7's match up, we only multiply by 7 once, so our LCM is 2 • 7 • 5, or 70.

II. When finding the LCM for 12 and 15, 12 factors as 2 • 2 • 3, and 15 factors
as 3 • 5. In this situation, we say that the 3's "match up," but the 2's do
not, because the 2's are factors of the same number. So our LCM is 2 • 2 •
3 • 5, or 60.

III. When finding the LCM for 3 integers, as shown below, a factor does not
have to appear in all three integers in order to "match up." The LCM for
6, 8, and 36, therefore, is 2 • 3 • 2 • 2 • 3, or 72.
Fractions - Least Common Multiple

Find the Least Common Multiple for the following integers:

1. 6, 22 2. 21, 149

LCM = 2 • 3 • 11 = 66 LCM = 3 • 7 • 1 • 149 = 3129

3. 30, 42 4. 16, 28

LCM = 2 • 3 • 5 • 7 = 210
LCM = 2 • 2 • 2 • 2 • 7 = 112

5. 15, 32 6. 10, 25, 35

LCM = 5 • 2 • 5 • 7 = 350

LCM = 2 • 2 • 2 • 2 • 2 • 3 • 5 = 480

7. 8, 9, 10 8. 9, 27, 63

LCM = 2 • 2 • 2 • 3 • 3 • 5 = 360 LCM = 3 • 3 • 3 • 7 = 189

9. 7, 42, 98 10. 12, 24, 26

LCM = 7 • 2 • 3 • 7 = 294
LCM = 2 • 2 • 2 • 3 • 13 = 312