GCF & LCM LOGIC -- Not Applicable To Real Life Situation

[mathgrant]

Are there any real life applications for the GCF & LCM? I've been doing math for at least 6 or 7 years, yet I can't think of any. I understand why differential equations, trigonemtric functions, and even linear equations are important to real life, but why do people have to learn the GCF & LCM?

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Sometimes life gives you a deck without any aces. Deal with it.

[extropalopakettle]

It all depends on ones "real life". Explain why differential equations are important in real life. How could they possibly be, when at least 95% of the population has no idea what a differential equation is?

[Bicho the Inhaler]

And it's not like they're useless. Suppose you want to do math with rational numbers instead of decimals or "floating point" numbers. Then GCF/LCM is quite useful. In fact, if you want to do this with a computer, you pretty much need it to write a competent program, or you'll overflow quickly. That's a real life application.

[CrystyB]

A really far-stretched real life situation: someone wants to get rid of all his 1 dollar bills, so he decides to buy something he always wanted to have. But it costs 85c and he doesn't want to either come out short or receive any change. How many bills will he lose this way? ((i know it sounds like kindergarten but i've always been lousy as a would-be teacher))

[Chuck]

You have a bunch of packages each weighing one of two different weights and you want to mail them. You want to put the exact postage required on each to avoid wasting money. You want to watch TV while you put the stamps on the packages so you buy only one denomination of postage stamp so you won't have to look at them. You want to buy as few stamps as possible to save time. What denomination should you buy?