Grades 2–4
Multiplication
Multiplication is adding equal groups quickly. Once the times tables are known, the written methods turn any multiplication into a few of those facts.
Work it out.
Ten questions at a time, marked as you go. Pick a skill above and start; nothing to sign up for, and the set works offline once the page has loaded.
What multiplication means
4 × 3 means four groups of three: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12. It can also be drawn as an array, four rows of three dots.
Turn the array on its side and it is three rows of four, so 4 × 3 = 3 × 4. That one fact halves the number of times-table facts there are to learn.
Worked examples
An array
3 rows of 5 dots: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15, so 3 × 5 = 15.
Short multiplication
4 × 6 = 24: write 4, carry 2. Then 3 × 6 = 18, and 18 + 2 = 20.
Long multiplication
23 × 4 = 92, and 23 × 10 = 230. Add the two rows: 92 + 230 = 322.
Strategies that help
Swap the order
3 × 8 is the same as 8 × 3. Use whichever one you know.
Double, then double again
Times 4 is doubling twice: 4 × 7 is 14 doubled, 28.
Split a number
7 × 12 = 7 × 10 + 7 × 2 = 70 + 14 = 84.
Times 10
Every digit moves one place to the left: 36 × 10 = 360.
Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000
Each step moves every digit one more place to the left, and zeros fill the empty places.
| Number | × 10 | × 100 | × 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 70 | 700 | 7,000 |
| 25 | 250 | 2,500 | 25,000 |
| 48 | 480 | 4,800 | 48,000 |
| 306 | 3,060 | 30,600 | 306,000 |
Practice questions
Work each one on paper first, then open the answer to check it.
- 6 × 7
Answer
42 - 8 × 9
Answer
72 - 12 × 4
Answer
48 - What are 5 groups of 6?
Answer
30 - 23 × 3
Answer
69 - 47 × 5
Answer
235 - 126 × 4
Answer
504 - 32 × 21
Answer
672 - 45 × 10
Answer
450 - A hall has 9 rows of 8 chairs. How many chairs are there?
Answer
72
Common questions
- Why learn the facts by heart?
- Multiplication facts come up inside nearly every later topic: division, fractions, area. Knowing them frees attention for the bigger problem.
- Which order should the tables be learned in?
- Commonly 2, 5 and 10 first, then 4 and 8 by doubling, 3 and 6, then 9, 7, 11 and 12. See the times tables page for a pattern for each.