Final answer:
The process of finding the greatest common divisor (GCD) and the least common multiple (LCM) of two numbers differ in their approach and results.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of finding the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two natural numbers and finding the least common multiple (LCM) of the numbers differ in their approach and results.
To find the GCD, you need to list the factors of both numbers and identify the largest factor they have in common. For example, to find the GCD of 24 and 36, you list the factors of 24 (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24) and the factors of 36 (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36). The largest factor they have in common is 12, so the GCD is 12.
To find the LCM, you need to list the multiples of both numbers and identify the smallest multiple they have in common. For example, to find the LCM of 24 and 36, you list the multiples of 24 (24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, ...) and the multiples of 36 (36, 72, 108, 144, ...). The smallest multiple they have in common is 72, so the LCM is 72.