Find the greatest integer that divides 358, 376, and 334 and leaves the same…
2024
Find the greatest integer that divides 358, 376, and 334 and leaves the same remainder in each case.
- A.
6
- B.
7
- C.
8
- D.
9
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Step-by-Step Solution
To find the greatest integer that divides three numbers (A, B, and C) and leaves the same remainder in each case, follow these steps:
Calculate the pairwise differences: When a divisor leaves the same remainder for multiple numbers, it must also divide the differences between those numbers evenly.
Difference 1: |376 - 358| = 18
Difference 2: |376 - 334| = 42
Difference 3: |358 - 334| = 24
Find the HCF of the differences: The greatest integer we are looking for is the Highest Common Factor (HCF) of 18, 42, and 24.
Prime factorization of 18: 2 * 3 * 3
Prime factorization of 42: 2 * 3 * 7
Prime factorization of 24: 2 * 2 * 2 * 3
Identify the common factors: The common prime factors are 2 and 3.
HCF = 2 * 3 = 6.