LCM Of 16 And 32

The LCM or the least common multiple of 2 numbers is the smallest number that appears as a multiple of both numbers. In case of 16 and 32, The LCM is 32. But how did we get to this answer? There are different ways to obtain a LCM of 2 or more numbers. Let us take a look at those methods.
 

Remember that we previously said there are plenty of ways to calculate the LCM of two numbers or more. Then some of those methods make it extremely easy for us to find the LCM of any two numbers. Those methods are: 

• Listing of Multiples

• Prime Factorization

• Division Method

Finally, now we will learn how each of these methods can help us to calculate LCM of given numbers.
 

This method will help us find the LCM of the numbers by listing the multiples of the given numbers. Let us take a step by step look at this method.

step 2: list all the multiples of the given numbers.

Multiples Of 16: 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, and 160.

Multiples Of 32: 32, 64, 96, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, 288, and 320. 

step 2: find the smallest common multiples in both the numbers. In this case, that number is 32 as highlighted above.

By this way we will be able to tell the LCM of given numbers.
 

Let us break down the process of prime factorization into steps and make it easy for children to understand.

The first step is to break down the given numbers into its primal form. The primal form of the number is:

16= 2×2×2×2

32= 2×2×2×2×2

As you can see, 2 appears as a prime factor in both numbers. So instead of considering 2 nine times, we will only consider it five times. So the final equation will look like (2×2×2×2×2).

So after the multiplication, we will be getting the LCM as 32.

As you can see, using this method can be easier for larger numbers compared to the previous method. 
 

The method to calculate the LCM is really simple. We’ll break these given numbers apart till it comes down to one, by dividing it by the prime factors. The product of the divisors that will come is the LCM of the given numbers.

Let us understand it step by step:

The first thing is to find the number common in both the numbers. Here it is 2. In that case, we divide both the numbers by 2. It will reduce the values of the numbers to 8 and 16.

We will divide the numbers by 2 till the last row is full of 1’s.

This is the end of division. However, we will now find the product of the numbers on the left. The numbers on the left side are 2, 2, 2, 2, and 2. 

These numbers multiplied give 32. On this basis, therefore, the LCM of the 16 and 32 becomes 32.
 

• Least Common Multiple (LCM): The smallest number that two or more numbers can divide into without leaving a remainder. For example, the LCM of 16 and 32 is 32.

• Multiple: The product you get after you multiply another number with an integer. Sometimes something like multiples of 16 are 16, 32, 48 etc.

• Divisibility: When one number can be divided by another number without leaving a remainder. For example, 16 is divisible by 4 because 16 ÷ 4 = 4 with no remainder.

• Prime Number: A number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. Examples include 2, 3, 5, and 7