Explain what a Greatest Common Factor is, what it represents and how it is found. Give an example to illustrate your explanation. (3 points)
The Greatest Common Factor (GCF) is the largest number that divides exactly into two or more numbers. It represents the largest common factor or divisor shared by the given numbers. To find the GCF, you need to find all the factors of the given numbers and then determine the largest number that appears in all the factor lists.
For example, let's find the GCF of 24 and 36:
The factors of 24 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24.
The factors of 36 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36.
The common factors are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.
The largest number in common is 12. Therefore, the GCF of 24 and 36 is 12.