16 Find the LCM of 8 and 12 . The LCM is

To find the LCM of 8 and 12, you can break them down into their prime factors. The prime factorization of 8 is \(2^3\) and for 12, it's \(2^2 \times 3\). The LCM is found by taking the highest powers of all prime factors: \(2^3\) (from 8) and \(3^1\) (from 12). So, the LCM is \(2^3 \times 3^1 = 8 \times 3 = 24\). Voila! The LCM of 8 and 12 is 24! Did you know that the concept of LCM has roots in ancient mathematics? The Babylonians were some of the first recorded mathematicians to play around with ideas similar to LCM over 4000 years ago! They developed ways to work with numbers that helped in trade and measurement, which are pretty much the same reasons we use LCM today. In real-world scenarios, knowing the LCM can be incredibly handy! For instance, if you’re planning events that occur every 8 days and another event that happens every 12 days, the LCM tells you when both events will coincide. So, mark your calendars! The two events will align every 24 days!