Chapter 12.3, Problem 5RC

To determine

To fill: The correct word for the blank space in the statement, when the problem is to add $\frac{5}{16}+\frac{7}{24}$. We begin by finding a common denominator. We first look for the least common multiple of 16 and 24. That number becomes the least common denominator of the two fractions. We factor 16 and 24: $16=2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 2$ and $24=2\cdot 2\cdot 2\cdot 3$. Then to find the LCM of 16 and 24, we use each factor the greatest number of times that it appears in any one factorization. “The LCM is _____________.”