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Finding a number that can divide evenly into another number?

  1. Jan 23, 2015 #1

    jim1174

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    when you have two numbers and you need find a number can can divide evenly into both is there an easy method to do this
     
    jim1174, Jan 23, 2015
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  3. Jan 23, 2015 #2

    jedishrfu

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    Are you thinking of the greatest common denominator?
     
    jedishrfu, Jan 23, 2015
  4. Jan 23, 2015 #3

    SteamKing

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    There are some rules which can lessen the amount of work involved:
    1. Even numbers are all evenly divisible by 2.
    2. Numbers ending in 0 or 5 are also divisible by 5 or multiples of 5.
    3. If the sum of the digits in a number can be divided evenly by 3, then the original number can also be divided by 3. For example, if n = 522, then 5 + 2 + 2 = 9, which is divisible by 3 evenly; therefore 522 is also evenly divisible by 3. (522/3 = 174)
     
    SteamKing, Jan 23, 2015
  5. Jan 23, 2015 #4

    lurflurf

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    lurflurf, Jan 23, 2015
  6. Jan 24, 2015 #5

    HallsofIvy

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    Since there are no fractions involved here, you must mean "greatest common divisor". In fact there is no "greatest common denominator" for a set of fractions- there is the "least common denominator" which is a number into which all the denominators will divide.
     
    HallsofIvy, Jan 24, 2015
  7. Jan 24, 2015 #6

    jedishrfu

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    Yes, you are right. I was thinking GCD and my memory brought up the wrong term. Thanks for the correction. I should have added a reference and then I would have caught my mistake.
     
    jedishrfu, Jan 24, 2015
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