A rectangular courtyard, 4.56 meters long and 7.68 meters wide is paved exactly with square tiles of same size. Find the size (in cm) of the largest tile that can be used for this purpose.
- AOption (a)
12
- BOption (b)
48
- COption (c)
24
- DOption (d)
96
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Correct answer
24
Why this answer is correct
Shortcut Trick
Convert dimensions to cm: 456 cm and 768 cm.
The largest tile size required to pave the floor is the HCF of its dimensions.
Successive subtraction: 768 − 456 = 312; 456 − 312 = 144; 312 − (144 × 2) = 24.
Since 24 divides 144 exactly, the HCF is 24.
∴ The correct answer is 24 cm.
Alternate Method
Given:
Length of the courtyard = 4.56 m = 456 cm
Width of the courtyard = 7.68 m = 768 cm
Formula Used:
The side of the largest possible square tile = HCF (Length, Width)
Calculations:
⇒ To find the HCF of 456 and 768 using the division method:
⇒ 768 = 456 × 1 + 312
⇒ 456 = 312 × 1 + 144
⇒ 312 = 144 × 2 + 24
⇒ 144 = 24 × 6 + 0
⇒ The remainder is zero, so the HCF is the last divisor.
⇒ HCF = 24
∴ The correct answer is 24 cm.
Additional Information
Total Number of Tiles
The number of tiles required to cover the area is given by: (Area of floor) ÷ (Area of one tile) = (Length × Width) ÷ (Side)2.
Prime Factorization Method
HCF can also be found by writing prime factors: 456 = 23 × 3 × 19 and 768 = 28 × 3. The common factors are 23 × 3 = 24.
Fundamental Relation
For any two numbers, the product of their HCF and LCM is equal to the product of the two numbers itself (HCF × LCM = a × b).