To find the greatest common factor (GCF) of 17 and 51, we can start by identifying the factors of both numbers.
- The factors of 17 are: 1, 17 (since 17 is a prime number).
- The factors of 51 are: 1, 3, 17, 51 (since \(51 = 3 \times 17\)).
The common factors of 17 and 51 are: 1 and 17.
The greatest of these common factors is 17.
Therefore, the greatest common factor of 17 and 51 is 17.