Question

Michael found the least common multiple of 8 and 12 as 12. What is Michael's error?

a) He miscalculated the multiples of 12.
b) He should have chosen 8 as the least common multiple.
c) He didn't consider factors common to both numbers.
d) There is no error; 12 is the correct least common multiple.

Answer 1

The correct least common multiple of 8 and 12 is 24, not 12. The least common multiple of 8 and 12 is 24, which appears in both lists. Therefore, the correct least common multiple is 24, not 12.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is d) There is no error; 12 is the correct least common multiple.

To find the least common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 12, we can list the multiples of each number and find the smallest value that appears in both lists.

The multiples of 8 are 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, and so on.

The multiples of 12 are 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, and so on.

The least common multiple of 8 and 12 is 24, which appears in both lists.

Therefore, the correct least common multiple is 24, not 12.