What is the least common multiple of 3 and 9?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the least common multiple (LCM) of the numbers 3 and 9. The LCM is the smallest number that is a multiple of both numbers. To find it, we examine the multiples of each number and identify the smallest common one.
Answer
9
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is 9
Steps to Solve
- List the multiples of each number
List the first few multiples of each number until we find a common multiple.
- Multiples of 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, ...
- Multiples of 9: 9, 18, 27, 36, ...
- Identify the common multiples
Find the smallest number that appears in both lists of multiples. In this case, it is 9.
- Confirm the answer
Check if the identified number is indeed a multiple of both original numbers. 9 is a multiple of both 3 and 9.
The final answer is 9
More Information
The least common multiple (LCM) can be a useful concept in various real-world applications, such as finding common meeting times or synchronized repeating events.
Tips
A common mistake is to stop listing multiples too early. Make sure to list enough multiples of each number until you find the common one.
