Question 26
Explore whether the LCM is a factor of the product in the following cases. If yes, identify the number that the LCM should be multiplied by to get the product. Do you see any pattern? Use these numbers:
(a) 45, 105
(b) 275, 352
(c) 222, 370
We explore the relationship between the product and LCM of two numbers.
Step 1 — Analyzing 45 and 105
Let us find the prime factors of each number. This helps us find the LCM easily.
The number 45 is . It is . So, .
The number 105 is . It is . So, .
Now, we find the product of these numbers. Let P be the product.
<DIAGRAM: Two numbers, 45 and 105, with their prime factorizations shown as factor trees. 45 -> 3, 15 -> 3, 5. 105 -> 3, 35 -> 5, 7. A multiplication sign between 45 and 105, leading to 4725.>
Step 2 — LCM and Multiplier for 45, 105
We find the LCM of 45 and 105. We take the highest power of each prime factor. The prime factors are 3, 5, and 7. Highest power of 3 is . Highest power of 5 is . Highest power of 7 is .
Now, we check if LCM is a factor of the product. We divide the product by the LCM.
Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 15. Let us find the HCF of 45 and 105. We take the lowest power of common prime factors. Common prime factors are 3 and 5. Lowest power of 3 is . Lowest power of 5 is .
The multiplier is equal to the HCF.
Step 3 — Analyzing 275 and 352
Let us find the prime factors of each number.
The number 275 is . It is . So, .
The number 352 is . It is . It is . It is . It is . So, .
Now, we find the product of these numbers. Let P be the product.
<DIAGRAM: Two numbers, 275 and 352, with their prime factorizations shown as factor trees. 275 -> 5, 55 -> 5, 11. 352 -> 2, 176 -> 2, 88 -> 2, 44 -> 2, 22 -> 2, 11. A multiplication sign between 275 and 352, leading to 96800.>
Step 4 — LCM and Multiplier for 275, 352
We find the LCM of 275 and 352. We take the highest power of each prime factor. The prime factors are 2, 5, and 11. Highest power of 2 is . Highest power of 5 is . Highest power of 11 is .
Now, we check if LCM is a factor of the product. We divide the product by the LCM.
Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 11. Let us find the HCF of 275 and 352. We take the lowest power of common prime factors. Common prime factor is 11. Lowest power of 11 is .
The multiplier is equal to the HCF.
Step 5 — Analyzing 222 and 370
Let us find the prime factors of each number.
The number 222 is . It is . So, .
The number 370 is . It is . So, .
Now, we find the product of these numbers. Let P be the product.
<DIAGRAM: Two numbers, 222 and 370, with their prime factorizations shown as factor trees. 222 -> 2, 111 -> 3, 37. 370 -> 2, 185 -> 5, 37. A multiplication sign between 222 and 370, leading to 82140.>
Step 6 — LCM and Multiplier for 222, 370
We find the LCM of 222 and 370. We take the highest power of each prime factor. The prime factors are 2, 3, 5, and 37. Highest power of 2 is . Highest power of 3 is . Highest power of 5 is . Highest power of 37 is .
Now, we check if LCM is a factor of the product. We divide the product by the LCM.
Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 74. Let us find the HCF of 222 and 370. We take the lowest power of common prime factors. Common prime factors are 2 and 37. Lowest power of 2 is . Lowest power of 37 is .
The multiplier is equal to the HCF.
Step 7 — Discovering the Pattern
We have observed a consistent result. In all cases, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier we found is special. It is always the HCF of the two numbers. So, Product = LCM HCF. This is a very important property.
Answer
(a) Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 15. (b) Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 11. (c) Yes, the LCM is a factor of the product. The multiplier is 74. Pattern: The LCM is always a factor of the product. The multiplier is the HCF of the two numbers. So, for numbers A and B, A B = LCM(A, B) HCF(A, B).
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(a) 14 and 30
(b) 7 and 11
(c) 30 and 50
(d) 28 and 42
Is the longest jump size for the numbers the same as their HCF? Explain why it is so.
Can this process be simplified? Can it be made more reliable?
Can you see what is happening below?
Can you write the prime factorisation of 105 and 30 using these two figures?
Try finding the prime factorisation of 1200 using the method above. If we had used the earlier method, our calculation would have been as follows:
Which calculation is easier to carry out?
Context: Consider the number 840 and its prime factorisation .
Q. Is a factor of 840?
Context: Consider the number 840 and its prime factorisation .
Q. If yes, what should it be multiplied by to get 840?
Context: Consider the number 840 and its prime factorization .
Q. Similarly, is a factor of 840? Why or why not?
Is a factor of 840? Why or why not?
Is a factor of 840? Why or why not?
Can we use this idea to list down all the possible factors of a number using just its prime factors?
Context: The factors of 225 are found to be 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, 45, 75, 225.
Q. Check that all the factors of 225 occur in this list.
Do you remember the ‘Idli-Vada’ game from Grade 6 (see chapter ‘Prime Time’)? Two numbers are chosen and whenever players come to their multiples, ‘idli’ or ‘vada’ should be called out depending on whose multiple the number is. If the number happens to be a common multiple, then ‘idli-vada’ should be called out. In each problem below, the two numbers corresponding to ‘idli’ and ‘vada’ are given. Find the first number for which ‘idli-vada’ will be called out:
(a) 4 and 6
(b) 7 and 11
(c) 14 and 30
(d) 15 and 55
Is the answer always the LCM of the two numbers? Explain.
Context: Consider the numbers 14 and 35, with prime factorisations and .
Q. Is also a common multiple?
Find more such number pairs where the HCF is one of the two numbers. How can we describe such pairs of numbers?
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Q. For number pairs satisfying this property (i.e., one of the numbers is the HCF),
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Here are some more numbers where both numbers are multiples of the same number. Find their HCF:
(a) ,
(b) ,
(c) ,
(d) ,
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Efficient Procedures for HCF and LCM
See the procedure on the right. Can you explain how it has been carried out?
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[Hint: Observe that , and similar to prime factorisation]
Why are these the LCMs?
[Hint: Will the product of the factors marked as the LCM of 300 and 150 contain the prime factorisations of both 300 and 150? Is this the smallest such number?]
You can try this method for these pairs of numbers.
(a) 90 and 150
(b) 84 and 132
Property Involving both the HCF and the LCM
Which is greater — the LCM of two numbers or their product?
You could analyse the above statement using examples. Then try to reason or prove, why the LCM is never greater than the product of the numbers.
[Hint: Is the product also a common multiple of the two numbers?]
Explore whether the LCM is a factor of the product in the following cases. If yes, identify the number that the LCM should be multiplied by to get the product. Do you see any pattern? Use these numbers:
(a) 45, 105
(b) 275, 352
(c) 222, 370
Context: Consider the pairs of numbers: (a) 45, 105; (b) 275, 352; (c) 222, 370.
Q. Do you see that, in each case, the number by which the LCM is multiplied to get the product is actually the HCF?
Why does this happen? Can you give an explanation or proof?
[Hint: Consider the prime factorisation of the given numbers. Among their prime factors, some are common to both factorisations, and the rest occur in only one of them. Between the HCF and the LCM, see how the common and non-common prime factors get distributed. In the product, observe how these two kinds of prime factors occur. Compare them.]
Explore whether this property holds when 3 numbers are considered.
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Q. If I start writing this number, how long could it take me?