The greatest common factor (GCF) of 8 and 32 is 8.
To find the GCF, we look for the largest number that divides both 8 and 32 without leaving a remainder. Here’s how we can determine this:
- First, we can list the factors of each number:
- Factors of 8: 1, 2, 4, 8
- Factors of 32: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32
- Next, we identify the common factors from both lists:
- Common factors: 1, 2, 4, 8
- Finally, we choose the largest factor from the common factors, which is 8. Therefore, the GCF of 8 and 32 is 8.
In conclusion, understanding the GCF is useful for simplifying fractions and solving problems related to ratios. In this case, since 8 is the largest number that divides both 8 and 32 evenly, it is indeed their greatest common factor.