what is the gcf of 24 and 42

The greatest common factor (GCF) of 24 and 42 is 6. One way to find the GCF is to compare the prime factorization of each number. The prime factorization of 24 is 2 x 2 x 2 x 3, and the prime factorization of 42 is 2 x 3 x 7. The common prime factors are 2 and 3, so the GCF is 2 x 3 = 6. Another method to find the GCF is to list the factors of each number and find the largest factor that they have in common. The factors of 24 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24, and the factors of 42 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, and 42. The largest factor that they have in common is 6, so the GCF is 6.