College Math Placement Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

To find the least common multiple (LCM) of two numbers, we look for the smallest number that is a multiple of both.

For the numbers 4 and 6, we start by identifying their prime factorizations:

- The prime factorization of 4 is \(2^2\).

- The prime factorization of 6 is \(2^1 \times 3^1\).

To determine the LCM, we take each prime number that appears in the factorizations and use the highest power of that prime.

- For the prime number 2, the highest power is \(2^2\) (from 4).

- For the prime number 3, the highest power is \(3^1\) (from 6).

Now, we multiply these together to find the LCM:

\[

LCM = 2^2 \times 3^1 = 4 \times 3 = 12

\]

Thus, the least common multiple of 4 and 6 is 12, which confirms that the solution is indeed correct. The LCM serves as a foundational concept in number theory, particularly useful for adding or subtracting fractions with different denominators, or for solving