What is the greatest common factor of 5 and 12?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the greatest common factor (GCF) of the two numbers 5 and 12. The GCF is the largest positive integer that divides both numbers without leaving a remainder.
Answer
The GCF of 5 and 12 is $1$.
Answer for screen readers
The greatest common factor (GCF) of 5 and 12 is 1.
Steps to Solve
- List the factors of each number
Start by finding the factors of both numbers, 5 and 12.
- Factors of 5: The only factors are 1 and 5 (since 5 is a prime number).
- Factors of 12: The factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.
- Identify the common factors
Next, look for the factors that both numbers share.
- Common factors of 5 and 12: The only common factor is 1.
- Determine the greatest common factor
Among the common factors, identify the greatest one, which is the GCF.
- The greatest common factor is 1.
The greatest common factor (GCF) of 5 and 12 is 1.
More Information
The GCF is particularly useful in simplifying fractions and finding common denominators. In this case, since 5 is a prime number, it only shares the factor 1 with 12, which is why the GCF is 1.
Tips
- A common mistake is to think that prime numbers have more factors. Remember, prime numbers only have two factors: 1 and themselves.
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