HCF of 6 and 16

HCF of 6 and 16 is 2. The factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3, 6 and the factors of 16 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 respectively. From the factors of 6 and 16, the largest number that divides both 6 and 16 exactly is 2. Students can make use of the article Highest Common Factor for quick and easy calculation of HCF problems. The main purpose of this article is to enhance the knowledge of the HCF concept among students. We will learn the simple tricks of how to determine the Highest Common Factor of 6 and 16 in a detailed manner in this article.

What is HCF of 6 and 16?

The Highest Common Factor of 6 and 16 is 2. This article provides an in-depth knowledge of HCF concept along with solved examples and FAQs in a descriptive manner.

How to Find HCF of 6 and 16?

There are three methods to find the HCF of 6 and 16:

• Prime Factorisation
• Long Division method
• Listing common factors

HCF of 6 and 16 by Prime Factorisation Method

To obtain the HCF by the prime factorisation method, we express the given numbers as the product of prime factors. Therefore the numbers 6 and 16 can be expressed as;

6 = 2 × 3

16 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2

Common prime factor of 6 and 16 is 2.

Therefore,

HCF (6, 16) = 2

HCF of 6 and 16 by Long Division Method

In the long division method, we use the following steps to find the HCF of 6 and 16

Step 1: Divide the largest number by the smallest number from the given two numbers.

Step 2: Now, check the remainder. If it is not zero, then make it a new divisor and write the previous divisor as the new dividend. Then perform the division.

Step 3: Continue this process until we get the remainder equal to zero. The last divisor will be considered as the HCF of the given two numbers.

The HCF of 6 and 16 by long division method is mentioned below;

HCF (6, 16) = 2

HCF of 6 and 16 by Listing the Factors

In this method, to obtain the HCF, we list out the factors of given numbers. The factors of 6 and 16 are as follows;

Factors of 6:1, 2, 3, 6

Factors of 16: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16

Hence, HCF (6, 16) = 2

Related Articles

• HCF of Two Numbers
• GCF
• HCF and LCM
• GCF Calculator
• HCF

Video Lesson on Properties of HCF and LCM

Solved Examples

1. What is the highest number that divides both 6 and 16 exactly?

Solution: The largest number that divides both 6 and 16 exactly is their Highest Common Factor (HCF). To calculate the  HCF of given numbers, we list out the factors of 6 and 16

Factors of 6: 1, 2, 3, 6

Factors of 16: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16

Here, 2 is the Highest Common Factor of 6 and 16. Hence, the highest number that divides both 6 and 16 is 2.

2. Determine the HCF of 6 and 16 if their LCM is 48.

Solution: Given

LCM = 48

We know that

LCM × HCF = 6 × 16 

48 × HCF = 6 × 16

HCF = 2

Hence the LCM is 2.