Common Multiples
2026-02-28 11:16 Diff

Least Common Multiple (LCM) is the smallest multiple that can be divided evenly by two or more numbers. There are different methods to calculate LCM like the listing method, prime factorization, and division. For prime factorization, break each number into primes and multiply the highest powers of all primes present. For example, let’s find the LCM of 4 and 6:
 

Multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28,...

Multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36,...

The common multiples of 4 and 6 are 12, 24, 36, and so on. The smallest common multiple is 12. Therefore, the LCM of 4 and 6 is 12, as it is the smallest number that is divisible by both 4 and 6. 

Let’s look at the multiples of the first 10 numbers in a table. 
 

Number

Multiples

1

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ...

2

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, ...

3

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, ...

4

4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, ...

5

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, ...

6

6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60, ...

7

7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, ...

8 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, ... 9

9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, ...

10

10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, ...