What is the greatest common factor (GCF) of 18 and 24?

To determine the greatest common factor (GCF) of 18 and 24, we begin by identifying the factors of both numbers.

The factors of 18 are:

• 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18

The factors of 24 are:

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24

Next, we look for the common factors between these two sets. The common factors of 18 and 24 are:

• 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Among these common factors, 6 is the largest, making it the greatest common factor. Therefore, the GCF of 18 and 24 is 6.

Finding the GCF is useful in various mathematical contexts, including simplifying fractions and solving whole number problems, as it helps identify the largest shared divisor between two numbers.