Applications of LCM

Some applications of Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) are:

• Baking and Cooking: When you’re adjusting recipes to make larger batches of food, knowing the LCM helps you scale up the ingredients while maintaining the correct proportions.

• Scheduling Events: If you’re planning events or meetings that need to occur regularly but not necessarily at the same time, finding the LCM of the intervals between occurrences helps you schedule them efficiently without conflicts.

• Bus or Train Timetables: Public transportation systems often operate on schedules with multiple routes. Finding the LCM of the intervals between buses or trains helps coordinate transfers and optimize travel times for passengers.

• Repeating Patterns in Art or Design: Artists and designers often use repeating patterns in their work. Knowing the LCM helps them create patterns that repeat seamlessly without gaps or overlaps.

• Purchasing Supplies: When buying supplies in bulk, such as office supplies or groceries, knowing the LCM of the quantities you need ensures that you purchase the right amount to last until the next restocking without excess waste.

• Fitness and Exercise: In interval training or circuit workouts, exercises are often performed in repeating cycles. Understanding the LCM of the intervals between exercises helps design efficient workout routines.

• Traffic Light Sequences: Traffic lights at intersections operate on cycles, with each light changing at regular intervals. Finding the LCM of these intervals helps synchronize traffic flow and minimize congestion.

• Music Composition: In music composition, understanding the LCM of different note durations helps create complex rhythms and time signatures that flow smoothly and harmoniously.

Least Common Multiple (LCM) is the smallest number that can be evenly divided by two or more given numbers. Whereas Highest Common Factor (HCF) is the largest number that can evenly divide two or more given numbers.

LCM and HCF can be easily found using two main methods:

• Division Method
• Prime Factorization Method

In this article, we will learn about HCF and LCM Definition, application of HCF and LCM and others in detail.