Troy mows his grass every 3 days, while Walter mows his every 5 days. What method helps determine when they both will mow on the same day again?

To determine when both Troy and Walter will mow their lawns on the same day again, you need to find a method that identifies the intervals at which their mowing schedules coincide. Since Troy mows every 3 days and Walter every 5 days, the problem essentially revolves around finding a common timeframe that fits both of their mowing cycles.

The least common multiple (LCM) of their mowing intervals is the correct approach because it represents the smallest number that is a multiple of both 3 and 5. To put it into context, the LCM will give you the least number of days after which both will have mowed their lawns simultaneously.

Calculating the LCM of 3 and 5 involves listing out the multiples of both numbers:

• The multiples of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, ...
• The multiples of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20, ...

The first common multiple they share is 15. Therefore, both Troy and Walter will mow their lawns together again in 15 days.

Using the greatest common divisor (GCD) would not yield the required answer, as GCD focuses on finding the largest number that divides both intervals without leaving a