What is the lowest common multiple of 8 and 14?

The lowest common multiple (LCM) of 8 and 14 is 56.

To find the LCM, we can list the multiples of each number:

  • Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, …
  • Multiples of 14: 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, …

Now we look for the smallest multiple that appears in both lists, which is 56. Therefore, the LCM of 8 and 14 is 56.

Alternatively, we can use the prime factorization method:

  • The prime factorization of 8 is 2 x 2 x 2 (or 23).
  • The prime factorization of 14 is 2 x 7.

For the LCM, we take the highest power of each prime:

  • 23 from 8
  • 71 from 14

Multiplying these together gives us: 23 x 71 = 8 x 7 = 56. Thus, we confirm that the LCM of 8 and 14 is indeed 56.

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