What are the two common factors of 12 and 20?

This calculator factors a set of positive integers to find the common factors (common divisors) of those integers. Enter the set of numbers you want to factor separating them with commas. Click "Calculate" to see all factors of each number as well as the greatest common factor (GCF).

The factors of a number include all divisors of that number. The factors of 12, for example, are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. You can divide 12 by any of these numbers and obtain another whole integer number.

Common factors are factors (divisors) that are in common among a set of numbers. Consider the factors of 27, 54, and 81:

1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18, 27, 54

Each of the numbers can be divided by 1, 3, 9, and 27, so you can say that these numbers are common factors of the set of numbers 27, 54, and 81. The largest of the common factors is 27, so you can say that 27 is the greatest common factor of 27, 54, and 81.

See the Factoring Calculator to learn more about finding the factors of a single integer number.

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You have reached us maybe looking for answers to the questions like: What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 20? or what is the highest common factor (HCF) of 12 and 20?

What is the GCF of 12 and 20?

The first step to find the gcf of 12 and 20 is to list the factors of each number. The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20. So, the Greatest Common Factor for these numbers is 4 because it divides all them without a remainder. Read more about Common Factors below.

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The first step is to find all divisors of each number. For instance, let us find the gcf(12, 20).

In this case we have:

  • The factors of 12 (all the whole numbers that can divide the number without a remainder) are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12;
  • The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20.

The second step is to analyze which are the common divisors. It is not difficult to see that the 'Greatest Common Factor' or 'Divisor' for 12 and 20 is 4. The GCF is the largest common positive integer that divides all the numbers (12, 20) without a remainder.

In the name greatest common divisor, the adjective "greatest" may be replaced by "highest", and the word "divisor" may be replaced by "factor", so that other names include highest common factor (hcf), greatest common measure, among others.

So, the GCF is also known as:

  • Greatest common divisor (gcd);
  • Highest common factor (hcf);
  • Greatest common measure (gcm), or
  • Highest common divisor

What are the two common factors of 12 and 20?

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The GCF of 12 and 20 is 4.

Steps to find GCF

  1. Find the prime factorization of 12
    12 = 2 × 2 × 3
  2. Find the prime factorization of 20
    20 = 2 × 2 × 5
  3. To find the GCF, multiply all the prime factors common to both numbers:

    Therefore, GCF = 2 × 2

  4. GCF = 4

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What are the two common factors of 12 and 20?
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Related

Find hcf of: 24 & 40 6 & 10 36 & 60 60 & 100 84 & 140 24 & 20 12 & 40 36 & 20 12 & 60 60 & 20 12 & 100 84 & 20 12 & 140

Enter two numbers separate by comma. To find GCF of more than two numbers, click here.

The greatest common factor (GCF) is also known as greatest common divisor (GCD) or highest common factor (HCF).

The gcf of 12 and 20 is the largest positive integer that divides the numbers 12 and 20 without a remainder. Spelled out, it is the greatest common factor of 12 and 20. Here you can find the gcf of 12 and 20, along with a total of three methods for computing it.

This Greatest Common Factor Calculator is Really Cool! Click To TweetIn addition, we have a calculator you should check out. Not only can it determine the gcf of 12 and 20, but also that of three or more integers including twelve and twenty for example. Keep reading to learn everything about the gcf (12,20) and the terms related to it.

What is the GCF of 12 and 20

If you just want to know what is the greatest common factor of 12 and 20, it is 4. Usually, this is written as

gcf(12,20) = 4

The gcf of 12 and 20 can be obtained like this:

  • The factors of 12 are 12, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.
  • The factors of 20 are 20, 10, 5, 4, 2, 1.
  • The common factors of 12 and 20 are 4, 2, 1, intersecting the two sets above.
  • In the intersection factors of 12 ∩ factors of 20 the greatest element is 4.
  • Therefore, the greatest common factor of 12 and 20 is 4.

Taking the above into account you also know how to find all the common factors of 12 and 20, not just the greatest. In the next section we show you how to calculate the gcf of twelve and twenty by means of two more methods.

How to find the GCF of 12 and 20

The greatest common factor of 12 and 20 can be computed by using the least common multiple aka lcm of 12 and 20. This is the easiest approach:

gcf (12,20) = = 4

Alternatively, the gcf of 12 and 20 can be found using the prime factorization of 12 and 20:

  • The prime factorization of 12 is: 2 x 2 x 3
  • The prime factorization of 20 is: 2 x 2 x 5
  • The prime factors and multiplicities 12 and 20 have in common are: 2 x 2
  • 2 x 2 is the gcf of 12 and 20
  • gcf(12,20) = 4

In any case, the easiest way to compute the gcf of two numbers like 12 and 20 is by using our calculator below. Note that it can also compute the gcf of more than two numbers, separated by a comma. For example, enter 12,20. The calculation is conducted automatically.

Similar searched terms on our site also include:

  • GCF of 12 and 25
  • GCF of 12 and 26
  • GCF of 12 and 27

Use of GCF of 12 and 20

What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 20 used for? Answer: It is helpful for reducing fractions like 12 / 20. Just divide the nominator as well as the denominator by the gcf (12,20) to reduce the fraction to lowest terms.

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Properties of GCF of 12 and 20

The most important properties of the gcf(12,20) are:

  • Commutative property: gcf(12,20) = gcf(20,12)
  • Associative property: gcf(12,20,n) = gcf(gcf(20,12),n)

The associativity is particularly useful to get the gcf of three or more numbers; our calculator makes use of it.

To sum up, the gcf of 12 and 20 is 4. In common notation: gcf (12,20) = 4.

If you have been searching for gcf 12 and 20 or gcf 12 20 then you have come to the correct page, too. The same is the true if you typed gcf for 12 and 20 in your favorite search engine.

Note that you can find the greatest common factor of many integer pairs including twelve / twenty by using the search form in the sidebar of this page.

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What are the two common factors of 12 and 20?

Greatest common factor (GCF) of 12 and 20 is 4.

GCF(12,20) = 4

We will now calculate the prime factors of 12 and 20, than find the greatest common factor (greatest common divisor (gcd)) of the numbers by matching the biggest common factor of 12 and 20.

We will first find the prime factorization of 12 and 20. After we will calculate the factors of 12 and 20 and find the biggest common factor number .

Step-1: Prime Factorization of 12

Prime factors of 12 are 2, 3. Prime factorization of 12 in exponential form is:

12 = 22 × 31

Step-2: Prime Factorization of 20

Prime factors of 20 are 2, 5. Prime factorization of 20 in exponential form is:

20 = 22 × 51

Step-3: Factors of 12

List of positive integer factors of 12 that divides 12 without a remainder.

1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Step-4: Factors of 20

List of positive integer factors of 20 that divides 12 without a remainder.

1, 2, 4, 5, 10

Final Step: Biggest Common Factor Number

We found the factors and prime factorization of 12 and 20. The biggest common factor number is the GCF number.
So the greatest common factor 12 and 20 is 4.

Also check out the Least Common Multiple of 12 and 20