Question

what is the greatest common factor of 18 and 12?

Explanation:

Step1: Find factors of 18

The factors of 18 are all the numbers that divide 18 without leaving a remainder. So, \(1\times18 = 18\), \(2\times9 = 18\), \(3\times6 = 18\). Thus, the factors of 18 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18.

Step2: Find factors of 12

Similarly, for 12, \(1\times12 = 12\), \(2\times6 = 12\), \(3\times4 = 12\). So, the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.

Step3: Identify common factors

Now, we find the common factors of 18 and 12 by looking at the numbers that appear in both lists. The common factors are 1, 2, 3, 6.

Step4: Determine the greatest common factor

Among these common factors (1, 2, 3, 6), the greatest one is 6.

Answer:

6