Quandaries and Queries
  

 

problem o Name: Dayna
Who is asking: Parent
Level of the question: Elementary

Question: I'm stumped! I can't seem to come up with a least common multiple of 22 and 25. Is there one?

Thanks so much from sunny Florida!
 

 

Hi Dayna,

Any two positive integers have a common multiple, their product. Thus

22 25 = 550

is a common multiple of 22 and 25. So is 2 550 = 1100 and 3 550 = 1650, and... So the problem is "Is 550 the smallest common multiple or is their one that is smaller?"

As you discovered, there is no smaller number that is a common multiple of 22 and 25 so 550 is the least common multiple of 22 and 25.

Penny