Question

What is the greatest common factor of 44, 36, and 46?

Answer 1

Answer:

$2$.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the greatest common factor of the given numbers, one possible way is to express each number as the product of its prime factors. The greatest common factor would be equal to he product of prime factors shared across the given numbers.

• $2^{2} \times 11$.
• $2^{2} \times 3^{2}$.
• $2 \times 23$.

Note that the three given numbers consist of the prime factors: $2$, $3$, $11$, and $23$. However, $2\!$ is the only prime factor shared across all three given numbers. The power of $\! 2\!$ in the greatest common factor would be equal to its least power among the given numbers, which is $1\!$ as in $2 \times 23$.

Hence, the greatest common factor of the given numbers would be $2^{1} = 2$.