Given Numbers: 16, 28, 36
Identify the Prime Factors of 16, 28 and 36 by Prime Factorization
Identify the Prime Factors of 16, 28 and 36 by Prime Factorization
- Prime Factorization of 16: 16 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 24
- Prime Factorization of 28: 28 = 2 x 2 x 7 = 22 x 71
- Prime Factorization of 36: 36 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 = 22 x 32
Determine the Prime Factor(s) that are common to the Prime Factorization of each number:
- 2 is the only Prime Factor common to the Prime Factorizations of 16, 28 and 36
Determine the least number of occurrences of 2 among the Prime Factorizations:
- 2 occurs at least 2 times in each Prime Factorization
As a result, the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of 16, 28 and 36 is equal to 2 x 2, which equals 2 raised to the power of its least number of occurrences or smallest exponent among the Prime Factorizations:
- GCF(16, 28, 36) = 22 = 2 x 2
- GCF(16, 28, 36) = 4
Therefore, the Greatest Common Factor of 16, 28 and 36 by Prime Factorization = 4