LCM of 10a and 15a^2
Factors of 10a are 10,a,2,5 but the prime factors are 2,5,a
Factors of 15a^2 are 15,a^2, 3,5,a,a
Prime factors are 3,5,a,a
Common between two are 5 and a
So is the LCM of 10a and 15^2 5a?
Wait. LCM= 2•3•5•a^2= 30a^2?
It is 30a^2
Thank you so much. It's making more sense now
To find the LCM (Least Common Multiple) of 10a and 15a^2, we need to determine the highest power of each common factor that appears in both numbers.
The prime factors of 10a are 2, 5, and a.
The prime factors of 15a^2 are 3, 5, and a.
From the prime factors, we can see that the common factors between 10a and 15a^2 are 5 and a. However, we need to consider the highest power of a that appears in both numbers. In 10a, the highest power of a is 1, and in 15a^2, the highest power of a is 2.
To find the LCM, we take the highest power of each common factor. Therefore, the LCM of 10a and 15a^2 is 5a^2.
So, the correct LCM of 10a and 15a^2 is 5a^2, rather than just 5a.