A bakery packages cookies in two sizes of boxes, one with 18 cookies and the other with 24 cookies. A small number of cookies are to be wrapped in cellophane before they are placed in a box. To save money, the bakery will use the same size cellophane packages for each box.

Question

How many cookies should the bakery place in each cellophane package to maximize the number of cookies in each package?

(We are learning about factors and greatest common factors if this helps you a bit.)

Answer 1

factors of 18 = 1, 18, 2, 9, 3, 6

factors of 24 = 1, 24, 2, 12, 3, 8, 4, 6

What is the largest number that is a factor of both 18 and 24?

Answer 2

Ohh, so 6, right?

Answer 3

Right.