LCM for 2, 3 and 6

"Least Common Multiple of 3 Numbers" Calculator
Least Common Multiple of
,
and

What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 2, 3 and 6?

Answer

LCM of 2, 3 and 6 is
6

(Six)

6 is the smallest positive integer that 2, 3 and 6 all divide without a remainder — every other common multiple of the three is a multiple of it.

Finding the LCM of 2, 3 and 6 by Prime Factorization

Split all three numbers into prime factors, then take every prime that shows up in at least one of them, each raised to the highest power it reaches there. Multiplying those highest powers gives the least common multiple:

All Prime Factors of 2: 2 (exponent form: 2)

All Prime Factors of 3: 3 (exponent form: 3)

All Prime Factors of 6: 2 × 3 (exponent form: 2 × 3)

Prime factor236Highest power
2222
3333

LCM = 2 × 3 = 6

Checking the LCM of 2, 3 and 6 Two Numbers at a Time

The least common multiple is associative, so three numbers can be handled as two pairs: first the LCM of the first two, then the LCM of that value and the third. Each pair goes through the two-number formula, which uses the greatest common divisor:

LCM(a, b) = (a × b) ÷ GCD(a, b)

LCM(2, 3) = (2 × 3) ÷ 1 = 6 ÷ 1 = 6

LCM(6, 6) = (6 × 6) ÷ 6 = 36 ÷ 6 = 6

LCM(2, 3, 6) = 6

The pairs may be taken in any order — 3 and 6 first, then 2 — and the answer is the same 6. That is exactly why the two routes on this page agree.

See Also

About "Least Common Multiple of 3 Numbers" Calculator

This calculator finds the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of three numbers at once, without doing it in two passes. For example, it can help you find out what's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 2, 3 and 6? (The answer is: 6). Enter the first number (e.g. '2'), the second (e.g. '3') and the third (e.g. '6'), then hit the 'Calculate' button.
The Least Common Multiple of three numbers is the smallest positive integer that all three of them divide without a remainder
"Least Common Multiple of 3 Numbers" Calculator
Least Common Multiple of
,
and

LCM Table

Number 1Number 2Number 3LCM
1236
2236
2336
23412
23530
2366
23742
23824
23918
231030
231166
231212
231378
231442
231530
231648
2317102
231818
2319114
232060
232142
232266
2323138
232424
2325150
232678
232754
232884
2329174
233030

FAQ

What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 2, 3 and 6?

LCM of 2, 3 and 6 is 6

How to find the LCM of 2, 3 and 6 by prime factorization?

Take every prime that appears in 2, 3 and 6 to the highest power it reaches in any one of them and multiply: 2 × 3 = 6.

Can you get the LCM of 2, 3 and 6 two numbers at a time?

Yes, and it is the check this page prints. The LCM of 2 and 3 is 6, and the LCM of 6 and 6 is 6 — the same answer, because the least common multiple is associative and does not depend on the order of the three numbers.

Is 6 divisible by 2, 3 and 6?

Yes, and by definition it is the smallest positive integer that is: 6 ÷ 2, 6 ÷ 3 and 6 ÷ 6 all come out whole. Any other common multiple of 2, 3 and 6 is a multiple of 6.