Methods & Mastery
Understanding
Highest
Common
Factors and
Lowest
Common
Multiples
Starter
Sadiq is trying to find the lowest common multiple of 4 and 6.
He says the lowest common multiple is 24.
Is he right? What method might he have used to find his answer?
A factor is a number that divides into another number without a remainder.
When you have two numbers, a common factor divides into both. The
highest common factor (HCF) of two or more numbers is the biggest
number that will divide into both of them.
For example, the highest common factor of 6 and 8 is 2.
A multiple is a number that is in the times tables of another number. When
you have two numbers, a common multiple is in both of their times tables.
The lowest common multiple (LCM) of two or more numbers is the smallest
number that is in both numbers’ times tables.
For example, the lowest common multiple of 4 and 5 is 20.
Here are two methods for finding the HCF and LCM.
Method 1 (Listing Method)
Example 1: Find the highest common factor of 12 and 20.
List all the factors of 12 and 20.
There are a number of different techniques to listing factors. Whichever
technique you use, to make sure you don’t miss any out, it is important to
make sure you write them down in pairs:
12: 1 × 12 20: 1 × 20
2×6 2 × 10
3×4 4×5
The highest common factor is the largest number that can be found in both
lists.
The highest common factor of 12 and 20 is 4.
Method 1 (Listing Method)
Example 2: Find the lowest common multiple of 6 and 8.
List the first multiples of 6 and 8, a few multiples of each at a time.
8: 8, 16, 24, 32
6: 6, 12, 18, 24
The lowest common multiple is the smallest number that can be found in
both lists.
The lowest common multiple of 6 and 8 is 24.
Method 2 (Prime Factor Method)
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
Start by finding the prime factors of each number using a factor tree:
(Remember: a prime number is one that has exactly two factors – 1 and
itself. The first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …)
24 60
4 6 5 12
2 2 2 3 2 6
2 3
24 = 3 × 2 × 2 × 60 = 5 × 3 × 2 ×
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
Draw a Venn diagram (two overlapping ovals or circles).
Label the left oval 24 and the right oval 60.
24 60
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
The prime factors of 24 will go in the left oval and the prime factors of 60 will
go in the right oval. The prime factors which are common to both will go in
the middle (also called the intersection).
Below each oval, write down the prime factors of each number, in order.
Cross out each prime factor as you go:
24 60
24 = 3 × 2 × 2 × 60 = 5 × 3 × 2 ×
2 2
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
Starting with the prime factors of 24:
• 3: This is in both lists. Write 3 in the centre, then cross out number 3 from both lists.
• 2: The first 2 is in both lists. Write 2 in the centre, then cross out a single 2 from both
lists.
• 2: The second 2 is in both lists. Write 2 in the centre, then cross out another 2 from
both lists.
• 2: The third 2 is only a prime factor of 24 – all the 2s in the prime factors of 60 have
been crossed out. Write 2 in the left oval (for 24), then cross out the final 2 in the
prime factors of 24.
24 60
3
2
2 2
24 = 3 × 2 × 2 × 60 = 5 × 3 × 2 ×
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
Moving on to the prime factors of 60:
• 5: This is the only prime factor not crossed out. 5 is not a prime factor of 24 so write
5 in the right oval (for 60), then cross it out.
24 60
3
2 5
2 2
24 = 3 × 2 × 2 × 60 = 5 × 3 × 2 ×
2 2
Example 3: Find the highest common factor and lowest common multiple of
24 and 60.
Finally, to find the HCF and LCM:
HCF: Multiply all the numbers in the middle of the Venn diagram:
2 × 2 × 3 = 12
The highest common factor of 24 and 60 is 12.
LCM: Multiply all the numbers in the Venn diagram:
2 × 2 × 3 × 2 × 5 = 120
The lowest common multiple of 24 and 60 is 120.
24 60
3
2 5
2 2
Your Turn
1. Use the listing method to find the highest common factor of each pair of numbers:
a. 12 and 20
b. 36 and 27
c. 48 and 32
2. Use the listing method to find the lowest common multiple of each pair of
numbers:
a. 6 and 8
b. 12 and 15
c. 8 and 18
3. Use the Venn diagram method to find the highest common factor and lowest
common multiple of each pair of numbers:
a. 20 and 24
b. 36 and 42
c. 10 and 8
Your Turn
4. When do you think it is better to use the listing method to find the HCF or LCM?
5. When do you think it is better to use the Venn diagram method to find the HCF or
LCM?
6. When using the listing method to find the LCM, why do you think we only list a few
multiples of each number at a time?
7. a. Write your own LCM or HCF question. Make the question as easy as possible.
b. Answer your question.
c. Explain what you did to make your question easy. Was it as easy as you
thought it would be?
d. Which method did you use to solve it? Why did you choose that method?
8. a. Write your own LCM or HCF question. Make the question as hard as possible.
b. Answer your question.
c. What did you do to make your question difficult?
d. Which method did you use to solve it? Why did you choose that method?
Answers
1. Use the listing method to find the highest common factor of each pair of numbers:
a. 12 and 20
12: 1 × 12, 2 × 6, 3 × 4
20: 1 × 20, 2 × 10, 4 × 5 HCF = 4
b. 36 and 27
36: 1 × 36, 2 × 18, 3 × 12, 4 × 9, 6 × 6
27: 1 × 27, 3 × 9 HCF = 9
c. 48 and 32
48: 1 × 48, 2 × 24, 3 × 16, 4 × 12, 6 × 8
32: 1 × 32, 2 × 16, 4 × 8 HCF = 16
Answers
2. Use the listing method to find the lowest common multiple of each pair of
numbers:
a. 6 and 8
6: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30
8: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 LCM = 24
b. 12 and 15
12: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60
15: 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 LCM = 60
c. 8 and 18
8: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80
18: 18, 36, 54, 72, 90, 108, 126, 144, 162, 180 LCM = 72
Answers
3. Use the Venn diagram method to find the highest common factor and lowest
common multiple of each pair of numbers:
a. 20 and 24
HCF = 4
LCM = 120
b. 36 and 42
HCF = 6
LCM = 252
c. 10 and 8
HCF = 2
LCM = 40
Answers
4. When do you think it is better to use the listing method to find the HCF or LCM?
Any suitable answer.
5. When do you think it is better to use the Venn diagram method to find the HCF or
LCM?
Any suitable answer.
6. When using the listing method to find the LCM, why do you think we only list a few
multiples of each number at a time?
Any suitable answer.
Answers
7. a. Write your own LCM or HCF question. Make the question as easy as possible.
Any suitable question.
b. Answer your question.
Correct answers to 7a.
c. Explain what you did to make your question easy. Was it as easy as you
thought it would be?
Any suitable answer.
d. Which method did you use to solve it? Why did you choose that method?
Any suitable answer.
Answers
8. a. Write your own LCM or HCF question. Make the question as hard as possible.
Any suitable question.
b. Answer your question.
Correct answers to 8a.
c. What did you do to make your question difficult?
Any suitable answer.
d. Which method did you use to solve it? Why did you choose that method?
Any suitable answer.
Plenary
Draw a cartoon to explain to someone how to find the HCF and LCM using the
prime factor method.
You can assume they already know how to use a factor tree to find prime
factors.
For an extra challenge, try to make your cartoon without using any words.
