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Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSC PDF Download

Q1. There are n sets of numbers, each having only three positive integers with LCM equal to 1001 and HCF equal to 1. What is the value of n?   (2025)
(a) 6
(b) 7
(c) 8
(d) More than 8

Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSCView Answer  Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSC

Ans: (d)
Prime factorization of 1001 = 7 × 11 × 13
If the HCF of a set of numbers is 1, the numbers are relatively prime (i.e. coprime).
Some of the possible combinations of three numbers whose LCM is 1001 and HCF is 1 are:
7, 11, 13
1, 13, 77 (7 × 11)
1, 11, 91 (7 × 13)
1, 7, 143 (11×13)
13, 13, 77
11, 11, 91
7, 7, 143
1, 1, 1001
1, 1001, 1001
Also,
7, 11, 143
11, 13, 91
11, 13, 77
….and so on.
(Since the HCF is 1, each prime factor can appear only in one or two of the three numbers, not in all the three.)
Therefore, n is definitely more than 8.

Q2. A can X contains 399 litres of petrol, and a can Y contains 532 litres of diesel. They are to be bottled in bottles of equal size so that the whole of petrol and diesel would be separately bottled. The bottle capacity in terms of litres is an integer. How many different bottle sizes are possible?    (2024)
(a) 3 
(b) 4 
(c) 5 
(d) 6

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Ans: (b)
Quantity of petrol contained in X = 399 litre 
Quantity of diesel contained in Y = 532 litres
By taking the factors of 399 and 532 
we get: 399 = 1 × 3 × 7 × 19
532 = 1 × 2 × 2 × 7 × 19
So, the possible bottle sizes are 1 litre, 7 litres, 19 litres and 133 litres. 
Therefore, the number of possible bottle sizes is 4.

Q3. Read the following passage and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.    (2023)
Benefits of good quality school education accrue only when students complete and leave school after having acquired the gateway skills. Like one learns to walk before running, similarly one picks up advanced skills only after picking the basic foundational skills. The advent of the knowledge economy poses new challenges, and one of the severe consequences of having an uneducated workforce will be our inability to keep pace with the global economy. Without a strong learning foundation at the primary level, there can be no improvement in higher education or skill development.
Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage? 
(a) To become a global power, India needs to invest in universal quality education. 
(b) India is unable to become a global power because it is not focusing or promoting knowledge economy.
(c) Our education system should focus more on imparting skills during higher education. 
(d) Parents of many school children are illiterate and are unaware of the benefits of quality education.

Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSCView Answer  Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSC

Ans: (a)
Option (a) is correct: The passage highlights the significance of quality education in imparting foundations skills, and its contribution to the knowledge economy through the lines “the advent of the knowledge economy poses new challenges, and one of the severe consequences of having an uneducated workforce will be our inability to keep pace with the global economy”. Thus the statement aligns with the message of the passage on the significance of quality education. 
Option (b) is incorrect: This statement is not supported by the passage directly. The passage only talks about the challenges posed by the knowledge economy. It does not explicitly state that India is not focusing on or promoting a knowledge economy. 
Option (c) is incorrect: The lines, “Like one learns to walk before running, similarly one picks up advanced skills only after picking the basic foundational skills.” and “Without a strong learning foundation at the primary level, there can be no improvement in higher education or skill development” clearly emphasize the importance of school education rather than the higher education. 
Option (d) is incorrect: This statement is beyond the scope of the passage, as the passage does not talk about the literacy and awareness of the parents anywhere.

Q4. A person X wants to distribute some pens among six children A B C D E and F. Suppose A gets twice the number of pens received by three times that of four times that of D, five times that of E and six times that of F. What is the minimum number of pens X should buy so that the number of pens each one gets is an even number?    (2022)
(a) 147 
(b) 150 
(c) 294 
(d) 300

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Ans: (c)
Let the number of pens with A be the LCM of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 = 60
Then the number of pens with B = 60/2 = 30
The number of pens with C = 60/3 = 20
The number of pens with D = 60/4 = 15 (an odd number)
The number of pens with E = 60/5 = 12
The number of pens with F = 60/6 = 10
To ensure that all get an even number of pens, we need to double the number of pens bought by A, i.e. 60 × 2 = 120
So, total number of pens bought by X = 120 + 60 + 40 + 30 + 24 + 20 = 294

Q5. Joseph visits the club on every 5th day, Harsh visits on every 24th day, while Sumit visits on every 9th day. If all three of them met at the club on a Sunday, then on which day will all three of them meet again?     (2021)
(a) Monday 
(b) Wednesday 
(c) Thursday 
(d) Sunday

Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSCView Answer  Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM | CSAT Preparation - UPSC

Ans: (b)
Joseph visits the club every 5th day.
Harsh visits the club every 24th day.
Sumit visits the club every 9th day.
The next time they will meet again will be the LCM of these time-periods.
LCM (5, 24, 9) = 360
So, all the three will meet 360 days after Sunday. 
Now, we need not count 360 days. 
Rather we will use the concept of odd days.
Odd number of days in 360 = Remainder when 360 is divided by 7 = 3
So, they will meet again on Sunday + 3 = Wednesday

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FAQs on Previous Year Topic Wise Questions With Solutions: HCF & LCM - CSAT Preparation - UPSC

1. What is the difference between HCF and LCM?
Ans. HCF, or Highest Common Factor, is the largest number that divides two or more numbers without leaving a remainder. In contrast, LCM, or Least Common Multiple, is the smallest number that is a multiple of two or more numbers. While HCF focuses on divisibility, LCM concerns itself with multiples.
2. How can HCF and LCM be calculated using prime factorization?
Ans. To calculate HCF and LCM using prime factorization, first break down each number into its prime factors. For HCF, take the lowest power of each common prime factor. For LCM, take the highest power of all prime factors present in the numbers. Multiply the factors as per these rules to get the respective HCF and LCM.
3. What is the relationship between HCF and LCM of two numbers?
Ans. The relationship between HCF and LCM of two numbers can be expressed by the formula: HCF × LCM = product of the two numbers. This means that the product of the highest common factor and the least common multiple of two numbers is equal to the product of those two numbers.
4. Can HCF and LCM be used to solve real-life problems?
Ans. Yes, HCF and LCM are often used in various real-life situations, such as scheduling events, optimizing resource allocation, and solving problems involving fractions. For instance, when trying to find a common time for events that occur at different intervals, LCM can help determine that time.
5. Are there any shortcuts to find HCF and LCM without prime factorization?
Ans. Yes, there are shortcuts to find HCF and LCM. The Euclidean algorithm can be used to find HCF efficiently without prime factorization. For LCM, one can also use the relationship with HCF by calculating LCM using the formula: LCM = (Product of the numbers) / HCF. This method is particularly useful for larger numbers.
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