Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of 196 and 72
The greatest common divisor (GCD) of 196 and 72 is 4.
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 196 and 72?
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 | 196 ÷ 72 = 2 remainder 52 |
| 2 | 72 ÷ 52 = 1 remainder 20 |
| 3 | 52 ÷ 20 = 2 remainder 12 |
| 4 | 20 ÷ 12 = 1 remainder 8 |
| 5 | 12 ÷ 8 = 1 remainder 4 |
| 6 | 8 ÷ 4 = 2 remainder 0 |
Examples of GCD Calculations
| Numbers | GCD |
|---|---|
| 183 and 111 | 3 |
| 143 and 59 | 1 |
| 112 and 98 | 14 |
| 130 and 144 | 2 |
| 102 and 176 | 2 |