To understand how to find the lowest common multiple of two or more numbers, it is important to understand the meaning of these three words:
Lowest = smallest
Common = existing between two or more persons, sets, groups, countries etc. For example, what is common to Brazil and Guyana? In other words, name one thing which exists in both Brazil and Guyana? Or, yet in other words, one thing that both Guyana and Brazil has.
For example, you can name a fruit that grows in both Brazil and Guyana. We can say that the “mango tree” is common to both Brazil and Guyana. That is because the mango tree grows in both Brazil and Guyana. What other things are common to Brazil and Guyana? Let’s name a few.
- Cows – cows are found in both Brazil and Guyana.
- The Macaw – the macaw is a bird that is common to both Guyana and Brazil.
- Beautiful sceneries – beautiful sceneries are common to both Guyana and Brazil. Tourists travel from all over the world to admire the beautiful sceneries in Brazil. Tourists also travel from all over the world to admire the beautiful sceneries in Guyana.
Just as countries can have things in common, two or more persons can have things in common. For example, both Jayden and Floyd like country music. We can say that Jayden and Floyd have a common “interest.”
Two women can have a common physical trait. For example, they can both have blonde hair.
Now that you understand what the word “common” means, let’s move on to:
Multiple = The word “multiple” comes from “multiply.” A multiple is a number you get when you “multiply” one number by another.
For example, if we are multiplying 5 times 2, we will write: 5 x 2 = 10. The number “10” is a multiple of 5. It is also a multiple of 2.