ASVAB · Number Properties

What is the least common multiple (LCM) of 4 and 6?

Correct answer

12

  1. A 12
  2. B 24
  3. C 8
  4. D 10

Why this is the answer

Multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12... Multiples of 6: 6, 12... First common multiple = 12. The LCM is the smallest number that both divide into evenly. Listing multiples works for small numbers; for larger ones, use prime factors — 4 = 2² and 6 = 2 × 3, so the LCM takes the highest power of each prime: 2² × 3 = 12. The distractor 24 is a common multiple but not the least; 8 and 10 are multiples of only one of the two numbers.
Source: ASVAB MK, LCM

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About this topic: Number Properties

Number properties cover primes and composites, factors and multiples, LCM and GCF, order of operations, divisibility rules, integers and absolute value — the vocabulary and rules the rest of the section assumes. This is one of 7 Mathematics Knowledge questions on number properties, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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