LCM for 3, 4 and 16

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

What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 3, 4 and 16?

Answer

LCM of 3, 4 and 16 is
48

(Forty-eight)

48 is the smallest positive integer that 3, 4 and 16 all divide without a remainder — every other common multiple of the three is a multiple of it.

Finding the LCM of 3, 4 and 16 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 3: 3 (exponent form: 3)

All Prime Factors of 4: 2 × 2 (exponent form: 22)

All Prime Factors of 16: 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 (exponent form: 24)

Prime factor3416Highest power
2—222424
33——3

LCM = 24 × 3 = 48

Checking the LCM of 3, 4 and 16 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(3, 4) = (3 × 4) ÷ 1 = 12 ÷ 1 = 12

LCM(12, 16) = (12 × 16) ÷ 4 = 192 ÷ 4 = 48

LCM(3, 4, 16) = 48

The pairs may be taken in any order — 4 and 16 first, then 3 — and the answer is the same 48. That is exactly why the two routes on this page agree.

Related Calculations

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 3, 4 and 16? (The answer is: 48). Enter the first number (e.g. '3'), the second (e.g. '4') and the third (e.g. '16'), 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
13412
23412
33412
34412
34560
34612
34784
34824
34936
341060
3411132
341212
3413156
341484
341560
341648
3417204
341836
3419228
342060
342184
3422132
3423276
342424
3425300
3426156
3427108
342884
3429348
343060

FAQ

What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 3, 4 and 16?

LCM of 3, 4 and 16 is 48

How to find the LCM of 3, 4 and 16 by prime factorization?

Take every prime that appears in 3, 4 and 16 to the highest power it reaches in any one of them and multiply: 2⁴ × 3 = 48.

Can you get the LCM of 3, 4 and 16 two numbers at a time?

Yes, and it is the check this page prints. The LCM of 3 and 4 is 12, and the LCM of 12 and 16 is 48 — the same answer, because the least common multiple is associative and does not depend on the order of the three numbers.

Is 48 divisible by 3, 4 and 16?

Yes, and by definition it is the smallest positive integer that is: 48 ÷ 3, 48 ÷ 4 and 48 ÷ 16 all come out whole. Any other common multiple of 3, 4 and 16 is a multiple of 48.

See Also