The least common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 12 is the smallest number that is a multiple of both 8 and 12.
Step-by-step calculation:
- Prime factorization:
- 8 = 2³
- 12 = 2² × 3
- Take the highest powers of all primes involved:
- For 2: highest power is 2³ (from 8)
- For 3: highest power is 3¹ (from 12)
- Multiply these together:
- LCM = 2³ × 3 = 8 × 3 = 24
Final answer:
The least common multiple of 8 and 12 is 24.
