How to Know When to Use GCF or LCM to Solve a Word Problem

GCF & LCM Word Problem Key Words Greatest Common Least Greatest Largest Biggest Divide Arrangement Break Most Split into smaller parts Arrange something into rows or groups Smallest Time Least Buy or get multiple things Find something that happens at the same time Find an event that repeats over and over Identical Same Similar Common

Tiffany has 10 baseballs and 20 basketballs Tiffany has 10 baseballs and 20 basketballs. If she wants to divide them into identical groups without any balls left over, what is the greatest number of groups Tiffany can make? G C F Divide Groups Greatest Identical Example of GCF

Jesus has 14 packets of sugar and 6 packets of artificial sweetener Jesus has 14 packets of sugar and 6 packets of artificial sweetener. He wants to divide them into identical groups, with no packets left over, so that the groups can be distributed to some tables at the restaurant where he works. What is the greatest number of groups Jesus can make? G C F Divide Groups Greatest Identical Example of GCF

While performing a piece of music, Bless strikes the cymbals every 14 beats and the triangle every 6 beats. If she just struck both at the same time, how many beats will pass before she again strikes them at the same time? L C M Time Same Every Example of LCM

Jonathan notices an identical number of two types of insects in his neighborhood: butterflies and fireflies. He always seems to observe butterflies in groups of 18 and fireflies in groups of 17. What is the smallest number of butterflies that he could have seen? L C M Smallest Identical Example of LCM