LCM for 12 and 42

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What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 12 and 42?

Answer

LCM of 12 and 42 is
84

First common multiples: 84, 168, 252, …

84 is divisible by both: 84 ÷ 12 = 7, 84 ÷ 42 = 2 — and 7 and 2 share no factor but 1, so no smaller number is. As a common denominator: multiply the top and bottom of x/12 by 7 and of y/42 by 2.

12 = 22 × 3

42 = 2 × 3 × 7

Prime1242Highest power
222222
3333
7—77

— = power 0: the prime is not a factor of this number; the LCM takes it from the number that has it.

LCM = 22 × 3 × 7 = 84

See Also

FAQ

What's the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of 12 and 42?

LCM of 12 and 42 is 84

How to find the LCM of 12 and 42 using prime factorization?

To find the LCM of 12 and 42, find all prime factors of both numbers, then multiply the highest power of each prime factor. The result is 84.

What is the difference between LCM and GCF?

LCM (Least Common Multiple) is the smallest number divisible by both numbers, while GCF (Greatest Common Factor) is the largest number that divides both. For 12 and 42: LCM = 84, GCF = 6.