What is the least common multiple of 8 and 2?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to find the least common multiple (LCM) of the numbers 8 and 2. The LCM is the smallest number that is a multiple of both numbers.
Answer
The least common multiple of 8 and 2 is $8$.
Answer for screen readers
The least common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 2 is 8.
Steps to Solve
- Identify the multiples of each number
First, we need to list the multiples of both 8 and 2.
For 8: $$ 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, \ldots $$
For 2: $$ 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, \ldots $$
- Find the common multiples
Next, we look for the common multiples from the lists we generated.
Common multiples of 8 and 2 from our lists are: $$ 8, 16, 24, 32, \ldots $$
- Determine the least common multiple (LCM)
From the common multiples, we take the smallest one which is: $$ LCM(8, 2) = 8 $$
The least common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 2 is 8.
More Information
The least common multiple (LCM) is useful in various mathematical calculations, especially when adding or subtracting fractions with different denominators. Understanding how to find the LCM helps in simplifying these processes.
Tips
- A common mistake is confusing the LCM with the greatest common divisor (GCD). Remember, GCD finds the largest number that divides both, while LCM finds the smallest multiple common to both.
