Find least common multiple of 7 and 12
To find the least common multiple (LCM) of 7 and 12, we can start by listing the multiples of each number:
Multiples of 7: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63...
Multiples of 12: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96...
We can see that the first common multiple is 84, so the LCM of 7 and 12 is 84.
factor first
7 = 7
12 = 3*4
so we need 3*4*7 = 84
You are correct. Another way to find the least common multiple (LCM) is by factoring the numbers.
The prime factorization of 7 is simply 7.
The prime factorization of 12 is 2^2 * 3.
To find the LCM, we need to include all the highest powers of the prime factors that appear in either number's factorization.
In this case, we take the highest power of 2 (2^2), the highest power of 3 (3^1), and the highest power of 7 (7^1) to get the LCM:
2^2 * 3 * 7 = 4 * 3 * 7 = 84
So, the least common multiple (LCM) of 7 and 12 is indeed 84.