Question

which expression represents the greatest common factor of 24 and 42?

Explanation:

Step1: Factorize 24 and 42

Factorize 24: $24 = 2\times12 = 2\times2\times6 = 2\times2\times2\times3$.
Factorize 42: $42 = 2\times21 = 2\times3\times7$.

Step2: Identify common prime factors

The common prime factors of 24 and 42 are 2 and 3.

Step3: Calculate GCF

Multiply the common prime factors: $2\times3 = 6$. So the greatest common factor (GCF) of 24 and 42 is 6, and the expression representing it (if we consider prime factorization) is $2\times3$ (or the product of the lowest powers of common primes).

Answer:

The expression representing the greatest common factor of 24 and 42 is $2\times3$ (or the result 6, depending on the context of the options; since the problem asks for the expression, $2\times3$ is the factored form of the GCF). If we need to present the value, it is 6.