Finding Common Ground | FIO

Question 19

Tick the correct statement(s). The LCM of two different prime numbers (m,nm, n) can be:

(a) Less than both numbers

(b) In between the two numbers

(c) Greater than both numbers

(d) Less than m×nm \times n

(e) Greater than m×nm \times n

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Solution

The Least Common Multiple of two different prime numbers is their product.

Step 1 — Understanding prime numbers

Let us think about prime numbers. A prime number has only two factors. These factors are 1 and the number itself. For example, 7 is a prime number. Its factors are 1 and 7. All prime numbers are greater than 1.

Step 2 — Finding the LCM

Let us take two different prime numbers. We can call them mm and nn. mm and nn are prime numbers. So, their only common factor is 1. Numbers with only 1 as a common factor are co-prime. The LCM of co-prime numbers is their product. So, LCM(m,nm, n) is m×nm \times n.

Let us use an example. Let m=3m = \mathbf{3}. Let n=5n = \mathbf{5}. Both are different prime numbers. Their LCM is their product. LCM(3,5)=3×5\text{LCM}(3, 5) = 3 \times 5

15\boxed{\mathbf{15}}

Step 3 — Comparing the LCM

We found that LCM(m,nm, n) is m×nm \times n. Prime numbers are always greater than 1. So, mm is greater than 1. Also, nn is greater than 1. Multiplying mm by nn makes a larger number. So, m×nm \times n is greater than mm. Also, m×nm \times n is greater than nn. This means the LCM is greater than both numbers.

Let us check our example. The LCM was 15. The numbers were 3 and 5. 15 is greater than 3. 15 is greater than 5. So, the LCM is greater than both numbers.

Step 4 — Evaluating the options

Let us check each given statement. (a) Less than both numbers: This is not true. (b) In between the two numbers: This is not true. (c) Greater than both numbers: This is true. (d) Less than m×nm \times n: This is not true. (e) Greater than m×nm \times n: This is not true.

Only statement (c) is correct.

Answer

(c) Greater than both numbers

More questions in FIO

Q1

List all the factors of the following numbers:

(a) 90

(b) 105

(c) 132

(d) 360 (this number has 24 factors)

(e) 840 (this number has 32 factors)

Q2

Find the common factors and the HCF of the following numbers:

(a) 50, 60

(b) 140, 275

(c) 77, 725

(d) 370, 592

(e) 81, 243

Q3

How do we directly find the HCF without listing all the factors?

Q4

Find the HCF of the following numbers:

(a) 24, 180

(b) 42, 75, 24

(c) 240, 378

(d) 400, 2500

(e) 300, 800

Q5

Consider the numbers 72 and 144. Suppose they are factorised into composite numbers as: 72 = 6 × 12 and 144 = 8 × 18. Seeing this, can one say that these two numbers have no common factor other than 1? Why not?

Q6

Find the LCM of the following numbers:

(a) 30, 72

(b) 36, 54

(c) 105, 195, 65

(d) 222, 370

Q7

Make a general statement about the HCF for the following pairs of numbers. You could consider examples before coming up with general statements. Look for possible explanations of why they hold.

(a) Two consecutive even numbers

(b) Two consecutive odd numbers

(c) Two even numbers

(d) Two consecutive numbers

(e) Two co-prime numbers

Share your observations with the class.

Q8

The LCM of 3 and 24 is 24 (it is one of the two given numbers).

(a) Find more such number pairs where the LCM is one of the two numbers.

(b) Make a general statement about such numbers. Describe such number pairs using algebra.

Q9

Make a general statement about the LCM for the following pairs of numbers. You could consider examples before coming up with these general statements. Look for possible explanations of why they hold.

(a) Two multiples of 3

(b) Two consecutive even numbers

(c) Two consecutive numbers

(d) Two co-prime numbers

Q10

In the two rows below, colours repeat as shown. When will the blue stars meet next?

Q11

(a) Is 5×7×11×115 \times 7 \times 11 \times 11 a multiple of 5×7×7×11×25 \times 7 \times 7 \times 11 \times 2?

(b) Is 5×7×11×115 \times 7 \times 11 \times 11 a factor of 5×7×7×11×25 \times 7 \times 7 \times 11 \times 2?

Q12

Find the HCF and LCM of the following (state your answers in the form of prime factorisations):

(a) 3×3×5×7×73 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 \times 7 and 12×7×1112 \times 7 \times 11

(b) 45 and 36

Q13

Find two numbers whose HCF is 1 and LCM is 66.

Q14

A cowherd took all his cows to graze in the fields. The cows came to a crossing with 3 gates. An equal number of cows passed through each gate. Later at another crossing with 5 gates again an equal number of cows passed through each gate. The same happened at the third crossing with 7 gates. If the cowherd had less than 200 cows, how many cows did he have? (Based on the folklore mathematics from Karnataka.)

Q15

The length, width, and height of a box are 12 cm, 18 cm, and 36 cm respectively. Which of the following sized cubes can be packed in this box without leaving gaps?

(a) 9 cm

(b) 6 cm

(c) 4 cm

(d) 3 cm

(e) 2 cm

Q16

Among the numbers below, which is the largest number that perfectly divides both 306 and 36?

(a) 36

(b) 612

(c) 18

(d) 3

(e) 2

(f) 360

Q17

Find the smallest number that is divisible by 3, 4, 5 and 7, but leaves a remainder of 10 when divided by 11.

Q18

Children are playing ‘Fire in the Mountain’. When the number 6 was called out, no one got out. When the number 9 was called out, no one got out. But when the number 10 was called out, some people got out. How many children could have been playing initially?

(a) 72

(b) 90

(c) 45

(d) 3

(e) 36

(f) None of these

Q19

Tick the correct statement(s). The LCM of two different prime numbers (m,nm, n) can be:

(a) Less than both numbers

(b) In between the two numbers

(c) Greater than both numbers

(d) Less than m×nm \times n

(e) Greater than m×nm \times n

Q20

A dog is chasing a rabbit that has a head start of 150 feet. It jumps 9 feet every time the rabbit jumps 7 feet. In how many leaps does the dog catch up with the rabbit?

Q21

What is the smallest number that is a multiple of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10? Do you remember the answer from Grade 6, Chapter 5?

Q22

Here is a problem posed by the ancient Indian Mathematician Mahaviracharya (850 C.E.). Add together 815\frac{8}{15}, 120\frac{1}{20}, 736\frac{7}{36}, 1163\frac{11}{63} and 121\frac{1}{21}. What do you get? How can we find this sum efficiently?

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