Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)

Vocabulary flashcards covering definitions, methods, and steps for calculating the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) from lecture notes.

Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)

The lowest multiple that is common to all the numbers of a set.

Method 1: Listing Multiples

A technique to find the LCM by writing out consecutive multiples for each number (e.g., multiples of $8$ and $12$) until the smallest common multiple, such as $24$, is found.

Method 2: Dividing by Prime Factors

A technique to find the LCM that involves dividing a set of numbers by prime factors until reaching $1$ for each number, and then multiplying all the prime factors together.

Prime Factors (Common Divisors)

A sequence of prime numbers—such as $2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, \text{...}$—used to divide sets of numbers in common division methods.

Method 3: Factor Tree

A prime factorization method where a tree is created by dividing by prime factors and continually adding branches until all endpoints are prime factors.