LCM( 25, 16 ) = 400
Step 1: Write down factorisation of each number:
25 = 5 · 5
16 = 2 · 2 · 2 · 2
Step 2 : Match primes vertically:
25 | = | 5 | · | 5 | ||||||||
16 | = | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 |
Step 3 : Bring down numbers in each column and multiply to get LCM:
25 | = | 5 | · | 5 | ||||||||||
16 | = | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 | ||||||
LCM | = | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 | · | 2 | · | 5 | · | 5 | = | 400 |
This solution can be visualized using a Venn diagram.
The LCM is equal to the product of all the numbers on the diagram.