SOLUTION: Grandma bakes a cake for her grandchildren who are going to visit her in the afternoon. She has forgotten whether 3,5 or 6 of her grandchildren will visit. She wants all of the cak

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Question 1128511: Grandma bakes a cake for her grandchildren who are going to visit her in the afternoon. She has forgotten whether 3,5 or 6 of her grandchildren will visit. She wants all of the cake to be eaten and each grandchild to get the same amont of cake. To prepare for all 3 possibilities, what is the smallest number of pieces into which she should cut the cake
Answer by ikleyn(52792)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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They want you find the lowest positive integer number, which is divided by 3, 5 and 6 without remainder.


Obviously, this integer must be a multiple of the product 3 and 5, i.e. 15, and as soon as you understand it, 

you will find the answer in 3 seconds:  the number under the question is 30.


This number is called the "Least Common Multiple" of numbers 3, 5 and 6, or LCM (3,5,6) for brevity.


In this case it is simply the product of all prime numbers, that factor the numbers 3, 5 and 6.


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