06 GCF

Greatest Common Factor

GCF
Greatest means _________
Biggest, Largest, Highest

Common means ________

Share, have the same, be alike

A Factor is _________
Two numbers that can be multiplied together to get
another number … 10 ÷ 5 = 2
so 5 and 2 are factors of 10
The greatest
common factor
of two or more
numbers is the
greatest number
that is a factor of
every number.
 There’s 3 ways to Find GCF
1) Make a list of all the factors (rainbow)

2) Use Prime Factors (Ladder method)

3) Use Prime Factors (Venn Diagram

method)
 Method 1: Making a List
Step 1:
Find all the factors of both numbers
Example:
ALWAYS start with 1 x ____
1 x 12
2 x __ use divisibility rules…does 2 work?
3 x __ use divisibility rules…does 3 work?

We are DONE cuz 3 & 4 are right next to each other!!

Let’s find all the factors of 18

ALWAYS start with 1 x ____

1 x 18
2 x __ use divisibility rules…does 2 work?
3 x __ use divisibility rules…does 3 work?
4 x __ …does 4 work?
5 x __ use divisibility rules…does 5 work?

We are DONE cuz 3,4,5, 6 … 6 is already on the list so we

are working back up.
How do we know when we are DONE?
1 x 12 = 12
1 x 12 2 x 6 = 12
3 x 4 = 12
2x6
4 x 3 = 12
3x4 5 x 2.4 = 12
6 x 2 = 12
7 x 1.7 = 12
8 x 1.5 = 12
9 x 1.3 = 12
10 x 1.2 = 12
11 x 1.1 = 12
12 x 1 = 12
 Step 2: List all Factors in a list
1 x 12
2x6
3x4

12: 1, 2, 3,
4, 6, 12
 Step 3: Find the largest factor
both numbers have in common.
What one is the Greatest?
12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12

18: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
 Method 2: Ladder Method
(Prime Factorization)
• is a method of • Step 1: List each
factoring which allows number in the ladder
you to factor two
numbers at once Example:
 Step 2: Factor using a prime
number such as 2, 3, 5, or 7
• Example:
 Step 3: Multiply the numbers on
the outside of the ladder to get
the GCF.
• Example:
 Method 3: Venn Diagram
Method (Prime Factorization)
• Step 1: Create factor • Step 2: Circle all of
trees for both the PRIME factors.
numbers.
Example:
Example:
 Step 3: Place each prime factor that
both numbers have in common in
the center part of this Venn Diagram.
• Example:
 Step 4: Multiply the numbers in the
middle to get the GCF, if needed.

• Example:

**The numbers left in

the top and bottom are
simplified when
reducing fractions.
 Let’s Try Some
• Find the GCF for 4 and 8

• Find the GCF for 12 and 20

• Find the GCF for 21 and 3

• Find the GCF for 28 and 12

• Find the GCF for 90 and 30