swerve wrote:How many positive integers less than 30 have no common prime factor with 30?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
E. 9
The OA is D.
Please, can anyone explain this PS question? I tried to solve it but I can't get the correct answer. I need help. Thanks.
Hi swerve.
The first step is to find the prime factors of 30. This can be done as follows: $$30=2\cdot15=2\cdot3\cdot5.$$ So, the prime factors of 30 are 2, 3 and 5.
Now, from 1 to 29, we must discard all even numbers, since 2 is a factor of all of them.
Also, we must discard all the multiples of 3 and all the multiples of 5.
Finally, we only have the numbers: 1, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 and 29.
So, there are 8 numbers that hold the condition.
The correct answer is the option
D.
I hope it helps.
Regards.