Tag: multiplication

  • How and When You Can Manipulate Square Roots

    How and When You Can Manipulate Square Roots

    Square Roots (aka radicals) are part of the multiplication world. They have the same properties, but because they look weird – living in little “houses” – it is hard to grasp what they can do.

    This is how the “houses” (the radicals) can “move”:

    After that, you can work with multiple radicals:

    It is important to note that this little trick works because it’s all multiplication, division and roots. If you have addition or subtraction in there, you’ve got yourself a challenge. Watch this to see how to deal with addition in the mix:

    Thanks to jrobbo at MyMathForum.com for the inspiration for this post.

  • Those Pesky Exponents – How to Distribute Exponents over Multiplication

    Those Pesky Exponents – How to Distribute Exponents over Multiplication

    Remember that you can distribute multiplication over addition? You can also distribute exponents over multiplication.

    Here’s how and why it works:

    And here it is written out “long ways” for an algebra problem. Remember, you can use the short version. I do the videos with the long version to help you remember why it works.

    Have any questions? Post them in the comments!

  • How to Multiply By Hand Without Hurting Your Brain

    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.