How Do I Find Multiples Of A Number?

Determining the multiples of a number is one of the most important math skills to possess in life. Multiples of numbers are used throughout our day in a wide variety of fields, ranging from carrying out basic transactions at the store to sophisticated scientific and mathematical calculations fundamental to physics and computer science. Multiples of numbers are from the foundations of mathematics and must be understood clearly by all children and young adults so they can use them properly throughout their daily lives.

Step 1

Choose a number you want to find a multiple for and multiply it by continuing whole numbers. For example, if you want to find the multiples of 2, perform the following calculations: 2 1 = 2, 2 2 = 4, 2 3 = 6, and continue onward with other whole numbers. In another example, multiples of the number 5 can be found by performing the following calculations: 5 1 = 5, 5 2 = 10, 5 3 = 15, 5 4 = 20, and 5 5 = 25.

Step 2

Determine if the number can be divided without any remainder. A multiple of a number should be able to divided by the initial number you are seeking the multiple for without any remainder. For example, 8 is a multiple of 2, and as 2 * 4 = 8, therefore 8/2 = 4. In this example, 2 and 4 are also factors of 8 and there are no remainders left. Compare this to dividing 12 by 5. When you divide 12 by 5, there is a remainder of 2, which means that 12 is not a multiple of 5.

Step 3

Analyze how the number is multiplied. Multiples of a number are the result of multiplying a number by a whole number. For example, multiply 2.5 (not a whole number) by 5 (a whole number). The result is 12.5, which means that 12.5 is a multiple of 2.5 since it was multiplied by 5 (a whole number). Compare this to multiplying 2.5 by 5.5. The result is 13.75. In this case, 13.75 cannot be called a multiple of 2.5 as it was not multiplied by a whole number, such as 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.

Step 4

Find the LCM (least common multiple) by looking at the multiples of two or more whole numbers. For example, analyze the multiples of 2 and 5 and find the common multiple between the multiples of 2 and 5. The LCM would be the smallest multiple from the common multiples of 2 and 5. In the example provided, the LCM of 2 and 5 is 10.