Finding the highest common factors of two or more numbers is a critical skills that can help you solve certain mathematical problems.
To figure out the highest common factors of two or more numbers, you first must understand what is meant by factors of a number, then you must understand what is meant by common factors of a number.
To put it simply, the factors of a number are all the numbers, including 1 and the number itself, which can divide the number without leaving a remainder.
And, the common factors of two numbers are all the factors the numbers which appear as factors of both those numbers.
For example:
The factors of 12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. Those are all the numbers which can divide the number 12.
The factors of 6: 1, 2, 3, 6. Those are all the numbers which can divide 6 without leaving a remainder.
What factors do both 6 and 12 share? Answer: 1, 2, 3 and 6.
So, the common factors of the numbers 6 and 12 are: 1, 2, 3 and 6.
So which is the biggest or highest number of the set given above? 6
Therefore, the highest common factor of the numbers 6 and 12 is 6.
And what is the lowest common factor? Obviously, the lowest common factors of all factors will be 1!