Sure, let's work through this step by step to find the greatest number that divides both 18 and 24 exactly.
1. Factors of 18: First, we determine all the factors of 18. The factors of 18 are the numbers that divide 18 without leaving a remainder. Those factors are:
- 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
2. Factors of 24: Next, we determine all the factors of 24. The factors of 24 are the numbers that divide 24 without leaving a remainder. Those factors are:
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24
3. Common Factors: Now, we list the common factors of both 18 and 24. This is done by identifying the numbers that appear in both lists of factors:
- Common factors of 18 and 24: 1, 2, 3, 6
4. Greatest Common Factor: From the list of common factors, we select the greatest one. The greatest number in the list of common factors shared by 18 and 24 is:
- 6
Therefore, the greatest number which divides both 18 and 24 exactly is 6.
