Question

Find the greatest common factor of the numbers.

32, 55

Short answer

There is no greatest common factor.

Step-by-step solution

Step-1 – Define greatest common factor

A common factor is a whole number that is a factor of two or more nonzero whole numbers. The greatest of the common factors is the greatest common factor (GCF).

Step-2 – Factor the numbers

Factor both the numbers 32 and 55.

The factors of 32 are: $32=2\times 2\times 2\times 2\times 2$

The factors of 55 are: $55=5\times 11$

Step-3 – State the conclusion

There are no common prime factors. However, two numbers always have 1 as a common factor. So, the GCF is 1, and the numbers are relatively prime.