What is the H.C.F. of 36 and 144?a)36b)144c)4d)2Correct answer is opti...
Prime Factorization Method
To find the highest common factor (HCF) of 36 and 144, we can use the prime factorization method. This method involves finding the prime factors of both numbers and then determining the common factors.
Step 1: Prime factorization of 36:
36 can be expressed as the product of prime numbers:
36 = 2 * 2 * 3 * 3
Step 2: Prime factorization of 144:
144 can be expressed as the product of prime numbers:
144 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 3 * 3
Identifying Common Factors
To find the HCF, we need to identify the common factors of 36 and 144.
The common factors are the prime factors that both numbers share. In this case, the common factors are 2, 2, 3, and 3.
Determining the HCF
To find the HCF, we take the product of the common factors:
HCF = 2 * 2 * 3 * 3 = 36
Therefore, the HCF of 36 and 144 is 36, which corresponds to option A.