LCM Function in Excel: Least Common Multiple

LCM Function in Excel: Least Common Multiple featured illustration

📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓

⏱ 2 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

MathLevel: IntermediateAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. LCM in practice
  5. Where you will use it
  6. Worked example
  7. Mistakes people make
  8. Related functions
  9. Continue learning

LCM finds the smallest number all inputs divide into — when two repeating schedules line up again.

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Syntax

=LCM(number1, [number2], ...)
Argument What it means
number1… Whole numbers.

Examples

Example 1

=LCM(6, 8)

Jobs every 6 and every 8 days coincide every 24 days.

LCM in practice

Where you will use it

  • Repeat cycle of two schedules
  • Smallest pack quantity fitting both sizes
  • Fractions

Worked example

ABFormulaResult
46=LCM(A2,B2)12
1218=LCM(A3,B3)36
75=LCM(A4,B4)35

Results calculated in Excel.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
DecimalsTruncated to integers
ZeroLCM with 0 is 0

GCD

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📎 Practice files for this article

  • 📗
    Practice workbook: Math & rounding24 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.
    ⬇ XLSX · 35 KB

Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.

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