When finidng the lest common multiply why how do you know which way to list the factoring so that you get the LCM
12=2*2*3
16=2*2*2
I say 2*2*2*3=24
LCM should be 48
What am I doing worng?
that the right way to do it. You are right.
according to the book it should be 48
To find the least common multiple (LCM), you need to follow a specific method when listing the prime factors of each number. Let's go through the correct process step by step:
Step 1: Start by listing the prime factors of both numbers individually.
12 = 2 * 2 * 3
16 = 2 * 2 * 2
Step 2: Identify the highest power of each prime factor that appears in either number. In this case, the highest power of 2 is 3 since it appears three times in 16 and only twice in 12. The highest power of 3 is 1 since it appears once in 12 but not in 16.
Step 3: Write down the prime factors with their highest powers found in step 2.
2^3 * 3^1
Step 4: Calculate the product of the prime factors with their respective highest powers.
2^3 * 3^1 = 8 * 3 = 24
So, the LCM of 12 and 16 should be 24, not 48 as you mentioned.