plz aswer and explain this to me i dont get it

Answer: 36
Step-by-step explanation:
1) Find the prime factorization of 12
12=2*2*3
2) Find the prime factorization of 18
18=2*3*3
3) Multiply each factor the greater number of times it occurs in the first two steps above to find the LCM.
LCM=2*2*3*3
4) LCM=36