0 Easy Arithmetic Tricks

Jamie Frater September 17, 2007 Math can be terrifying for many people. This list will hopefully impro e your general !nowle"ge of mathematical tric!s an" your spee" when you nee" to "o math in your hea".

1. The 11 Times Tric! #e all !now the tric! when multiplying by ten $ a"" 0 to the en" of the number, but "i" you !now there is an e%ually easy tric! for multiplying a two "igit number by 11& This is it' Ta!e the original number an" imagine a space between the two "igits (in this e)ample we will use *2' *+2 ,ow a"" the two numbers together an" put them in the mi""le' *+(*-2.+2 That is it $ you ha e the answer' *72. /f the numbers in the mi""le a"" up to a 2 "igit number, 0ust insert the secon" number an" a"" 1 to the first' 1+(1-1.+1 (1-1.+2+1

10+2+1 1021 $ /t wor!s e ery time. 2. 3uic! S%uare /f you nee" to s%uare a 2 "igit number en"ing in *, you can "o so ery easily with this tric!. Mulitply the first "igit by itself - 1, an" put 2* on the en". That is all4 2*2 5 (2)(2-1.. 6 2* 2)758 82* 7. Multiply by * Most people memori9e the * times tables ery easily, but when you get in to larger numbers it gets more comple) $ or "oes it& This tric! is super easy. Ta!e any number, then "i i"e it by 2 (in other wor"s, hal e the number.. /f the result is whole, a"" a 0 at the en". /f it is not, ignore the remain"er an" a"" a * at the en". /t wor!s e erytime' 2822 ) * 5 (2822 : 2. 6 * or 0 2822 : 2 5 17;1 (whole number so a"" 0. 17;10 <et=s try another' *227 ) * 21;7.* (fractional number (ignore remain"er, a"" *. 21;7* ;. Multiply by 1 This one is simple $ to multiple any number between 1 an" 1 by 1 hol" both han"s in front of your face $ "rop the finger that correspon"s to the number you are multiplying (for e)ample 1>7 $ "rop your thir" finger. $ count the fingers before the "roppe" finger (in the case of 1>7 it is 2. then count the numbers after (in this case 7. $ the answer is 27.

*. Multiply by ; This is a ery simple tric! which may appear ob ious to some, but to others it is not. The tric! is to simply multiply by two, then multiply by two again' *2 ) ; 5 (*2 ) 2. - (*2 ) 2. 5 (118. - (118. 5 272 8. ?alculate a Tip /f you nee" to lea e a 1*@ tip, here is the easy way to "o it. #or! out 10@ ("i i"e the number by 10. $ then a"" that number to half its alue an" you ha e your answer' 1*@ of A2* 5 (10@ of 2*. - ((10@ of 2*. : 2. A2.*0 - A1.2* 5 A7.7* 7. Tough Multiplication /f you ha e a large number to multiply an" one of the numbers is e en, you can easily sub"i i"e to get to the answer' 72 ) 12*, is the same as' 18 ) 2*0 is the same as' 2 ) *00 is the same as' ; ) 1000 5 ;,000

2. Bi i"ing by * Bi i"ing a large number by fi e is actually ery simple. Cll you "o is multiply by 2 an" mo e the "ecimal point' 11* : * Step1' 11* D 2 5 710 Step2' Mo e the "ecimal' 71.0 or 0ust 71 2172 : * step 1' 2172 D 2 5 *1*8 Step2' *1*.8 1. Subtracting from 1,000

To subtract a large number from 1,000 you can use this basic rule' subtract all but the last number from 1, then subtract the last number from 10' 1000 E8;2 step1' subtract 8 from 1 5 7 step2' subtract ; from 1 5 * step7' subtract 2 from 10 5 2 answer' 7*2 10. Cssorte" Multiplication Fules Multiply by *' Multiply by 10 an" "i i"e by 2. Multiply by 8' Sometimes multiplying by 7 an" then 2 is easy. Multiply by 1' Multiply by 10 an" subtract the original number. Multiply by 12' Multiply by 10 an" a"" twice the original number. Multiply by 17' Multiply by 7 an" a"" 10 times original number. Multiply by 1;' Multiply by 7 an" then multiply by 2 Multiply by 1*' Multiply by 10 an" a"" * times the original number, as abo e. Multiply by 18' Gou can "ouble four times, if you want to. Hr you can multiply by 2 an" then by 2. Multiply by 17' Multiply by 7 an" a"" 10 times original number. Multiply by 12' Multiply by 20 an" subtract twice the original number (which is ob ious from the first step.. Multiply by 11' Multiply by 20 an" subtract the original number. Multiply by 2;' Multiply by 2 an" then multiply by 7. Multiply by 27' Multiply by 70 an" subtract 7 times the original number (which is ob ious from the first step.. Multiply by ;*' Multiply by *0 an" subtract * times the original number (which is ob ious from the first step.. Multiply by 10' Multiply by 1 (as abo e. an" put a 9ero on the right. Multiply by 12' Multiply by 100 an" subtract twice the original number. Multiply by 11' Multiply by 100 an" subtract the original number. Ionus' Jercentages Ganni in comment 27 ga e an e)cellent tip for wor!ing out percentages, so / ha e ta!en the liberty of "uplicating it here' Fin" 7 @ of 700. Soun" Bifficult& Jercents' First of all you nee" to un"erstan" the wor" KJercent.L The first part is JMF , as in 10 tric!s per list erse page. JMF 5 FHF MC?N. The secon" part of the wor" is ?M,T,

as in 100. <i!e ?entury 5 100 years. 100 ?M,TS in 1 "ollarO etc. H!O so JMF?M,T 5 For Mach 100. So, it follows that 7 JMF?M,T of 100, is 7. (7 for each hun"re", of only 1 hun"re".. 2 @ of 100 5 2. 7*.77@ of 100 5 7*.77 Iut how is that useful&& Iac! to the 7@ of 700 %uestion. 7@ of the first hun"re" is 7. 7@ of 2n" hun"re" is also 7, an" yep, 7@ of the 7r" hun"re" is also 7. So 7-7-7 5 21. /f 2 @ of 100 is 2, it follows that 2@ of *0 is half of 2 , or ;. Irea! "own e ery number that=s as!e" into %uestions of 100, if the number is less then 100, then mo e the "ecimal point accor"ingly. MPCMJ<MS' 2@200 5 & 2 - 2 5 18. 2@2*0 5 & 2 - 2 - ; 5 20. 2@2* 5 2.0 (Mo ing the "ecimal bac!.. 1*@700 5 1*-1*-1* 5;*. 1*@7*0 5 1*-1*-1*-7.* 5 *2.* Clso it=s usefull to !now that you can always flip percents, li!e 7@ of 100 is the same as 100@ of 7. 7*@ of 2 is the same as 2@ of 7*.