Multiplication Fact Tricks
In this section, I will learn some neat tricks that will help me remember my multiplication facts up to 9 x 9.
What are some tricks that will help me remember my multiplication facts?
3 Facts
These facts are known as your doubles plus one group. If you know your 2 facts, all you need to do is add one more group. You can also count by 3s! For example: for 3 x 4 think 2 x 4 = 8. If I add one more group of 4 I get 8 + 4 = 12. for 3 x 6 think 2 x 6 = 12. If I add one more group of 6 I get 12 + 6 = 18. What do you notice on the multiplication chart on the right? |
5 Facts
These facts are known as clock facts because the numbers on the clock represent the minutes in an hour. The product of a 5 fact always ends in 0 or 5. If you're not comfortable with counting by 5s, you can also multiply by 10 and then half what you find like in this example: 4 x 10 = 40 (it is like 4 x 1 with a 0 at the end) Half of 40 is 20. So....4 x 5 = 20. |
9 Facts
There are many different tricks for these facts. If you look at the multiplication chart on the right, you'll notice that as we go down or right on the chart, the tens digit goes up while the ones digit goes down. You will also notice that the digits in the product always add up to 9. For example, 4 x 9 = 36. In 36, we can add the digits together 3 + 6 = 9. Here's another neat trick: To do 9 x 6, 6 - 1 = 5. The 5 is in the tens spot. Think 5 + ____ = 9. It's 4! The 4 is in your ones spot. So, 9 x 6 = 54. |
Multiplying by 10s, 100s and 1 000s
We can multiply any number by 10s, 100s or 1 000s if we know our 1 facts. All we do is simply multiply by 1 and tack on the number of 0s in the problem. Here's a quick example to demonstrate this point:
4 x 10 = 40 Here, we take 4 x 1 = 4 and tack on the extra 0 found in the 10.
6 x 100 = 600 Here, we take 6 x 1 = 6 and tack on the two extra 0s found in 100.
7 x 1 000 = 7 000 Here, we take 7 x 1 = 7 and tack on the three extra 0s found in 1 000.
We can also multiply by multiples of 10s, 100s and 1 000s as well. We just have to know our basic multiplication facts.
3 x 20 = 60 Here, we take 3 x 2 = 6 and then tack on the 0 at the end of the number 20.
5 x 700 = 3 500 Here, we take 5 x 7 = 35 and then tack on the two 0s at the end of 700.
6 x 8 000 = 48 000 Here, we take 6 x 8 = 48 and then tack on the three 0s at the end of 8 000.
Multiplying by 1 is as easy as thinking of what you are multiplying by 1!
The 4 facts are known as your double double facts. Take your 2 facts and double them!
7 Facts can be a bit tricky. However, if you know your 5 and 2 facts, you'll find them easy!
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To multiply by 2, simply take your one facts and double them.
If you know your minutes on an analog clock, you can remember your 5 facts.
To remember your 8 facts, take your 4 facts and double them.
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3 Facts are known as your doubles + 1 group facts.
The 6 facts are your triple doubles: take your 3 facts and double them.
There are many tricks to remembering 9 facts, but remember that the product always add up to 9.
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To multiply a number by a multiple of ten, use your basic multiplication facts and tack on the 0s at the end.
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To multiply a three digit number by a one digit number, we can use a break apart method to help us.
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Practice Questions
Choose one of the activities to complete.
1) How might you use the product of 4 x 3 to find what 8 x 3 is.
2) If I know that 7 x 5 = 35, how would I figure out what 7 x 6 was?
3) Choose one of the facts that are listed on this page. Find a new trick or strategy to remember it by.