How to Multiply By Hand Without Hurting Your Brain

There’s an amazingly fancy tool that I began discussing in the last post. This D-word probably has been a close friend of yours for a while. It’s likely you’ve used it before and just didn’t realize it.

Well, now you can give it a name and give it some practice. It’s the Distributive Property.

Fancy name. Fabulous friend.

Check out what’s really going on with  87 x 48 here…

That one you can do quickly with pencil and paper. Here’s an easier one that you are more likely to do in your head (after practice with P&P of course)…

Have you done this before? Share your stories in the comments. Need something else? Request it and I’ll get to it as soon as I can.

 

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2 Responses to How to Multiply By Hand Without Hurting Your Brain
  1. Sometimes … the simplest way is always the best. For instance … splitting up 25% among 5 people is 14% each.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfq5kju627c

    • Bon

      I love that one! Thanks for the reminder, HART!

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