Relating Common Factors with HCF and Multiples with LCM

Highest Common Factor (HCF) or Greatest Common Factor (GCF)

A number can have one or more common factors; e.g., 2 and 4 are common factors of 8 and 12.
However, the highest common factor is 4.

Therefore, the highest common factor (HCF) of 8 and 12 is 4.

To find the HCF of two or more numbers:

(i) Express each of the numbers as a product of prime factors,

(ii) Pick out the least power of each common factor. The product of these gives the HCF or GCF.

Example: Find the HCF of 84, 1386 and 210.

The common factors available are 2, 3 and 7. The ones with least power are 2 1, 31 and 71.

Therefore, HCF = 21 x 31 x 71 = 42.

Activity 1.1: Highest common factor

Find the HCF of the following:

(i) 54, 48 (vi) 200, 256, 324

(ii) 42, 63, 105 (vii) 616, 2156.
(iii) 132, 156, 204, 228 (viii) 455, 286
(iv) 12, 15, 24 (ix) 32, 56, 72
(v) 45, 60, 90 (x) 6, 30
Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)
The Lowest Common Multiple (L.C.M) of two or more numbers is the least among the multiple
common to each of them.

To find the LCM we proceed as follows:

(i) If 2 divides any of the numbers, divide through by 2 as many times as possible. Write down,
as it is, any number not divisible by 2.
(ii) Go to 3 and repeat the process. Then go to 5, 7, 11, … If a number does not divide any of the
numbers, skip it.
(iii) Proceed as in (ii) until you arrive at a row bearing only 1 in every cell.
(iv) Pick the highest power of each of the prime factors that appear. The factors need not be
common. Multiply them.

Example: Find the LCM of 16, 12 and 24.

LCM of 16, 12 and 24 is 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 = 48

Activity 1.2: Lowest Common Multiple

Find the LCM of the following groups of numbers. Leave the answers in power form.

(i) 3, 9, 15 (vi) 18, 42, 84

(ii) 4, 5, 6 (vii) 7, 75, 150
(iii) 28, 36 (viii) 30, 56, 72
(iv) 48, 90, 125 (ix) 144, 178
(v) 200, 350 (x) 760, 540
Activity 1.3: Application of HCF and LCM

1. Musa, John and David start at the same time, position and direction to run around a circular field.
Musa takes 180 seconds, John takes480 seconds and David takes 720 seconds to complete one
circuit. If they start running at 3.00 pm, at what time will they all be at the same position?
2. Five small containers of capacity 16, 72, 12, 24 and 56 litres are to be used to fill a bigger container.
What is the capacity of the bigger container which can be filled by each of the above containers
exactly without remainder when used separately?
3. Find the shortest length that can be cut into exactly equal lengths of 4 cm or 7 cm or 18 cm.
4. In SMACON, it is possible to divide the students into groups of equal numbers of 24, 30 or 32 and
have no pupils left over. Find the least number of students in the school that makes this possible.
5. Traffic lights at three different junctions show green light at intervals of 10 seconds, 12 seconds
and 15 seconds. They all show green at 1.00 p.m. At what time will they all again show green
together?
6. A room measures 540 cm by 420 cm. Find the length of the largest square tiles that can be used
to cover the floor without requiring any cutting.

END

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