Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of 12 and 2
The greatest common divisor (GCD) of 12 and 2 is 2.
What is the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)?
The GCD of two integers is the largest positive integer that divides both numbers without leaving a remainder. It is useful in simplifying fractions, finding common factors, and in number theory.
How to Calculate the GCD of 12 and 2?
We use the Euclidean algorithm, which involves the following steps:
- Divide the larger number by the smaller number.
- Replace the larger number with the smaller number and the smaller number with the remainder from the division.
- Repeat this process until the remainder is zero.
- The non-zero remainder just before zero is the GCD.
Step-by-Step Euclidean Algorithm
| Step | Calculation |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 0 |
Examples of GCD Calculations
| Numbers | GCD |
|---|---|
| 138 and 198 | 6 |
| 55 and 80 | 5 |
| 198 and 87 | 3 |
| 185 and 145 | 5 |
| 16 and 75 | 1 |