Find the LCM of 12 and 18

Answer: 36

Step-by-step explanation: To find the least common multiple or lcm of 12 and 18, begin by listing the first few multiples of each number.

Multiples of 12

1 * 12 = 12

2 * 12 = 24

3 * 12 = 36

Notice that we skipped 0 * 12 in our list of multiples. That's because 0 * 6 is 0 and our least common multiple can not be 0.

When listing the multiples of 18, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the list of multiples for 12 so that we will notice when we find a least common multiple.

Multiples of 18

1 * 18 = 18 ← is not multiple of 12

2 * 18 = 36 ← is a multiple of 12

Notice that we can stop here because all other multiples that we find will be greater 36. So the least common multiple of 12 and 18 is 36.