Have you ever heard of ‘LCM’? We bet you have! We all learned this concept in primary mathematics. The term LCM is an acronym for ‘Least Common Multiple.’ Knowing the full form of this acronym must have helped you recognize its close relation to mathematics. Most of us must have considered the ‘Least Common Multiple’ an abstract concept during the academic phase without any real-life application.
However, what if we tell you that the concept of LCM finds multiple uses in practical life? When dealing with multiple numbers or quantities, finding their Least Common Multiple could help you plan, coordinate, and schedule things efficiently. Since most of us understood the LCM concept long ago, many people may fail to calculate the LCM of multiple numbers by hand.
The problem becomes even bigger when dealing with multiple larger numbers. Hence, the need to use a ‘Least Common Multiple Calculator’ emerges. However, many people may still wonder why they need such a calculator and how it will be used in scheduling and planning tasks. This article helps you understand everything related to the LCM calculator. Read on to learn more.
What are Some Methods to Calculate LCM?
Before discussing the least common multiple calculator, including its benefits and uses, it is essential to understand a few methods for calculating an LCM of various numbers by hand. This section briefly presents an overview of these methods.
Listing Method
You can find the least common multiple of various numbers by listing their multiples in a line. After listing various multiples of each number, you can compare all the lines and find a common number. The number you will find this way will be called the LCM or the least common multiple of all the given numbers.
Division Method
Another way to find the LCM of various numbers is called the ‘Division Method.’ This method is totally different from the one we mentioned above. It involves dividing the given numbers through various prime numbers. This method requires you to write all the given numbers in a horizontal line and separate them using commas. Now, divide all numbers with prime numbers, starting with ‘2’, as it is the smallest prime number.
Make sure that the prime number you are using for division divides at least one of the given numbers. If one or two of the given numbers don’t divide with the smallest prime number, write undivided numbers down and keep on dividing using larger prime numbers until the entire row shows 1. Now multiply the prime numbers used to divide the given number, and the product of all the prime numbers will be the LCM.
Prime Factorization Method
The third common method to find the least common multiple of various numbers is the ‘Prime Factorization Method.’ It involves writing given numbers in the form of exponents. Now, you have to divide the exponent using prime numbers. For instance, 24 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3, and that of 36 = 2x 2 x 3 x 3.
Now, pick one instance of each prime number that appears the most in the factorization of each exponent. Once you have picked all the prime numbers with the highest power in each exponent, it is time to calculate their product. The product you will obtain after multiplying all the prime numbers will be the LCM of the given numbers. Here is an example.
LCM = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 = 72.
So, the least common multiple of both 24 and 36 is 72.
Why Use a Least Common Multiple Calculator?
Using a least common multiple calculator to find the LCM of various numbers can help you save significant time, effort, and budget. However, when you are trying to find the LCM of significantly larger numbers, the process becomes pretty time-consuming and laborious. What if you have to make a quick decision related to scheduling, planning, or coordination based on the calculation of the least common multiple?
You may end up delaying the decision. Moreover, you will likely make mistakes while simultaneously calculating and competing with the time. Some people are not so quick, even with the basic mathematics. Such people will likely make mistakes while calculating LCM, no matter which of the aforementioned calculation methods they choose.
Hence, the best way to avoid calculation mistakes while figuring out the Least Common Multiple of various numbers, especially the large ones, is to use an online ‘Least Common Multiple Calculator. ‘You can easily find such an online tool to help you calculate LCM promptly by accessing https://leastcommonmultiplecalculator.net/. Some worth mentioning features of the LCM calculator are given below.
- Convenient Interface
- Swift Output
- Easily usable through any device
- No registration or installation required
- Free of cost
How to Use Least Common Multiple Calculator for Planning and Scheduling?
This section lists various applications of the least common multiple calculator and its output in practical life, especially when it comes to planning and scheduling. Read on to understand why LCM calculation is not an abstract concept.
Controlling Traffic Light Signals
You can observe the biggest example of planning and scheduling using LCM by witnessing the coordination of multiple traffic light signals. The job of the traffic control department is to ensure that signals installed in a square don’t blink simultaneously. Otherwise, the situation may lead to messy traffic jams and horrific accidents. The best way to ensure the asynchronous blinking of road signals installed in a square is to find the Least Common Multiple of their blinking durations. Suppose a signal blinks every 25 seconds, another after 30 seconds, the opposite one blinks after every 40 seconds, while the one guiding traffic from the expressway blinks every 55 seconds.
The traffic controller must find the LCM of these durations so that signals installed in the square don’t blink simultaneously. The calculator will help them find the LCM, which is 6600. It means that all the signals will blink synchronously after every 110 minutes. Hence, the traffic control department must make necessary adjustments to schedule altered blinking durations of signals every 110 minutes to avoid traffic jams or accidents.
Maintenance Scheduling
Manufacturing plants and tech firms often require regular maintenance to ensure a smooth working flow. But what if they face the trouble of multiple maintenance tasks recurring after different intervals? Scheduling these maintenance tasks separately will lead to significant downtime and higher resource expenses.
The best way to deal with this issue is to calculate the LCM of the intervals of both tasks. For instance, a maintenance task needs to be done after every 30 days, while the other one recurs after every 80 days. Knowing the LCM of both numbers, 240, can help you schedule both tasks effectively. Resultantly, you can manage resources more effectively and reduce downtime significantly.
Some Other Real-Life Applications of Least Common Multiple Calculator
While we have discussed a couple of real-life scenarios to help you understand the use of an LCM calculator for scheduling and planning, here are some other real-life examples of how an LCM calculator can be used for planning, scheduling, and coordination.
- Flight scheduling
- Event scheduling
- Ensuring optimal planting and harvesting schedules
- Designs of electronic circuits to ensure coordination between multiple components
- Accurate proportions of ingredients to cook perfect meals in larger quantities
- Ensuring perfectly planned supply chain management
- Planning related to resource allocation
- Employees’ shift scheduling
- Task synchronization to ensure effective project management
To Conclude
Many mathematics-related concepts, such as LCM calculation, are considered abstract. Online calculators that help you find LCMs of various numbers are considered useless or limited to academic usage. However, that’s not true. Online least common multiple calculators also find their real-life applications and can help you schedule and plan various things perfectly in real life.
Hopefully, after reading this article, you will understand the usefulness of LCM calculators in real life. Make sure you use them to plan and schedule various things in your personal and professional life perfectly. We wish you luck with your upcoming planning and scheduling tasks!
