Mathematics Essentials Q1

Find the Least Common Multiple of Given Numbers Using Lists

We can also find the least common multiple of a pair of numbers.

What is the least common multiple? The least common multiple (LCM) is just what it sounds like, the smallest multiple that two numbers have in common.

Let’s look back at the common multiples for 3 and 4.

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36

4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48

Here we know that the common multiples are 12, 24 and 36.

The LCM of these two numbers is 12. It is the smallest number that they both have in common. We used lists of multiples for 3 and 4 to find the common multiples and then the least common multiple.