What is the greatest common factor (GCF) of 24 and 36?

To determine the greatest common factor (GCF) of 24 and 36, we can start by identifying the factors of each number.

The factors of 24 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24.

The factors of 36 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36.

Next, we find the common factors of both numbers. The common factors of 24 and 36 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.

Among these common factors, the greatest one is 12. Therefore, the GCF of 24 and 36 is indeed 12, which makes it the correct answer.

This means that 12 is the largest number that divides both 24 and 36 without leaving a remainder, illustrating the concept of common factors effectively. Understanding this process of identifying factors helps reinforce the concept of the GCF, which is essential in many areas of mathematics, including simplifying fractions and finding least common multiples.