Times Table Tricks

Multiplication may seem like a daunting task, but once you've mastered the basics, there's no multiplication problem you can't tackle. The best approach to becoming an excellent multiplier is to learn the times tables. By knowing how to multiply each single digit number with any other single digit number, you'll have the foundation to multiply any numbers, no matter how large.

Zeroes, Ones and Tens

With little effort at all, you can learn how to multiply any number by 0, 1 or 10. It's as easy as three simple rules: First, any number multiplied by zero is zero (5 x 0 = 0). Second, any number multiplied by one is itself (6 x 1 = 6). Third, any number multiplied by 10 is the original number with a zero added to the end (8 x 10 = 80).

Twos

If you can still do addition more quickly than multiplication, when you see a number being multiplied by two, just add the number to itself. By doing this addition (8 + 8 = 16), you are doubling it, which is exactly what multiplying something by two means (8 x 2 = 16).

Fours

By the same token, multiplying something by four is just doubling something twice (6 x 4 = 24, just as 6 + 6 = 12; then 12 + 12 = 24). Knowing the addition will help you to arrive at the answers until you have the fours times table memorized.

Fives

You've probably been able to count by fives (5, 10, 15, etc.) for longer than you can remember, but you might not know that, in doing so, you've been practicing your fives times table. To get the answer to a problem, begin counting by fives and stop when you've hit the number you're multiplying by. If the problem is 6 x 5, count up by fives six times: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. The answer is 30 (6 x 5 = 30). Remember that anything that is multiplied by five will always end in either a 5 or 0.

Nines

A quick hand trick can help you master the nines. Hold up all of your fingers in front of you. Whatever number you wish to multiply by nine, count that number of fingers over from the left side, and bend it down. The nine fingers remaining will show the answer, with the number of fingers to the left of your bent finger being the first digit and the number of fingers to the right being the second digit. Pretend you are multiplying 9 x 4 and bend your fourth finger over. As you will see, there are three fingers to the left side and six to the right, signifying 36 (9 x 4 = 36).

Use What You Already Know

Unfortunately, there are no easy tricks for three, six, seven, and eight. Some of it will just have to be memorized, which is your goal with all the numbers. The good news is that by learning the earlier tricks, you already know most of the harder times tables. Remember that multiplication goes both ways, so 7 x 2 is the same as 2 x 7. Since you already know to just add a times-two to itself (7 + 7 = 14), you already have a trick you can apply to one of the sevens problems.