Gmat gcf

Hello sir would you please tell me how to find Greatest Common Factor (GCF) in Graduate Management Admission Test Algebra???

[Shaleen]

Finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of two numbers is a necessary and useful skill that will enable you to solve a number of different types of GMAT problem solving and GMAT data sufficiency questions.

The GCF of two numbers is the largest number that is a factor of both numbers.

Example:

What is the Greatest Common Factor of 24 and 150?
Step 1: Find the prime factorizations of 24 and 150.

In the prime factorization diagram above you see that:
– 24 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 3
- 150 = 2 * 3 * 5 * 5

Step 2: Identify the overlap of the two numbers’ prime factorizations.

Only the numbers 2 and 3 are factors of BOTH 24 and 150; note that 5 is not a factor of 24.

Step 3: To find the GCF of 24 and 150, apply the rule noted above.

The GCF is “the product of all the numbers that appear in the prime factorizations of both numbers,” in this case one 2 and one 3. Thus, the GCF of 24 and 150 = 2 * 3 = 6.