What are common multiples of 12 and 15?

Answer 1

To find the common multiples of 12 and 15, you need to break them down into their prime factors:

12 = 2x2x3

15 = 3x5

The next step is to identify any common factors. In this case, both numbers have a 3 as a prime factor, and so you can discard one of those. Considering all the other prime factors (2, 2, 3 and 5) and multiplying them together, we will find the LCM:

2x2x3x5 = 60.

To find the other common multiples, you need to multiply this number by any integer (2, 3, 4...)

When you do this, the first few common multiples of 12 and 15 work out as:

60, 120, 180, 240...
There is an infinite number of common multiples for 12 and 15. A common multiple of any two or more numbers is any number into which each of two or more numbers can be divided evenly (zero remainder). However, the least or lowest common multiple (LCM) of 12 and 15 is 60.