Find the Least Common Denominator (LCD) of \(\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{13},\frac{1}{52}\). In other words, find the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of \(4,13,52\).
Method 1: By Listing Multiples
List the multiples of each number.
Multiples of 4
: 4, 8, 12, ... , 44, 48, 52, ...
Multiples of 13
: 13, 26, 39, 52, ...
Multiples of 52
: 52, ...
Find the smallest number that is shared by all rows above. This is the LCM.
LCM = \(52\)
Method 2: By Prime Factors
List the prime factors of each number.
Prime Factors of 4
: 2, 2
Prime Factors of 13
: 13
Prime Factors of 52
: 2, 2, 13
Find the union of these primes.
\[2,2,13\]
Multiply these numbers: \(2\times 2\times 13=52\). This is the LCM.