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HCF of: 72 and 100

Ask by Adkins Robbins. in South Africa
Jan 23,2025

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The HCF of 72 and 100 is 4.

Solution

To find the Highest Common Factor (HCF) of **72** and **100**, you can use the **Prime Factorization** method or the **Euclidean Algorithm**. Below are both methods explained step-by-step: --- ### **Method 1: Prime Factorization** 1. **Find the prime factors of each number:** - **72** - 72 ÷ 2 = 36 - 36 ÷ 2 = 18 - 18 ÷ 2 = 9 - 9 ÷ 3 = 3 - 3 ÷ 3 = 1 - **Prime Factors:** \(2^3 \times 3^2\) - **100** - 100 ÷ 2 = 50 - 50 ÷ 2 = 25 - 25 ÷ 5 = 5 - 5 ÷ 5 = 1 - **Prime Factors:** \(2^2 \times 5^2\) 2. **Identify the common prime factors with the lowest exponents:** - Both numbers have the prime factor **2**. - The lowest exponent of **2** in both factorizations is **2**. 3. **Multiply the common prime factors:** - \(2^2 = 4\) - **HCF = 4** --- ### **Method 2: Euclidean Algorithm** The Euclidean Algorithm repeatedly applies division to find the HCF. 1. **Divide the larger number by the smaller number and find the remainder:** - \(100 \div 72 = 1\) with a **remainder of 28**. 2. **Replace the larger number with the smaller number and the smaller number with the remainder:** - Now, find HCF of **72** and **28**. 3. **Repeat the process:** - \(72 \div 28 = 2\) with a **remainder of 16**. - \(28 \div 16 = 1\) with a **remainder of 12**. - \(16 \div 12 = 1\) with a **remainder of 4**. - \(12 \div 4 = 3\) with a **remainder of 0**. 4. **When the remainder is 0, the divisor at this step is the HCF:** - **HCF = 4** --- **Therefore, the Highest Common Factor (HCF) of 72 and 100 is 4.**

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To find the HCF (Highest Common Factor) of 72 and 100, we can start by breaking both numbers down into their prime factors. 72 can be factorized as 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 1 (or 2³ × 3¹). 100 can be factorized as 2 × 2 × 5 × 5 (or 2² × 5²). Now, we take the lowest power of the common prime factor, which is 2. The lowest power is 2². So, the HCF of 72 and 100 is 4! Now that you have the HCF, it's also fun to think about how this concept plays out in real life! For example, when planning a party and trying to divide items evenly among guests, knowing the HCF can help you figure out how many items each person can get without any leftovers! Also, when working with HCF, a common mistake is forgetting to consider all the prime factors! It's important to ensure you've correctly identified the lowest power of each prime in both numbers. Don’t rush the factorization process; take your time to avoid missing a factor or miscalculating!

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