How to Find HCF of 2 Numbers?

To find the Highest Common Factor (HCF) of two numbers, identify their prime factors, and calculate the product of the common prime factors with the lowest powers.

There are two common methods to find the Highest Common Factor (HCF) of two numbers:

Prime Factorization: This method involves breaking down each number into its prime factors (numbers divisible only by 1 and itself). The HCF is the product of the prime factors that appear in both numbers, with the lowest exponent for each factor.

Division Method: This method involves repeated division. You divide the larger number by the smaller number. If there’s a remainder, you then divide the smaller number by the remainder. You keep dividing until you get a remainder of 0. The HCF is the last non-zero remainder.