8 Math Tricks for Everyday Situations
Mathematics is one of those subjects that is generally disliked, but almost everyone needs it to some degree. Whether you’re into it or not, some people have a few tricks up their sleeves to make everyday life easier — they’ve shown us some of them, like how to multiply 2-digit numbers quickly. We’ve rounded up a few tips to help you in everyday situations. Read on to find out more!
1. Multiply any 2-digit number by 11.
Write the addition of the numbers in between.
Note: There are also cases where you need to carry the 1, as in 57×11 = 627. The process behind it is 5 + 7 = 12, and the 1 will be added to the 5.
2. Find 20% of any number.
Multiply the number by 20, then divide the result by 100.
3. Multiply easily
If you do multiplication by tens, it becomes a bit easier. Break up your number into tens and ones, and use the distributive property shown above. Finally, add the 2 results together.
4. Divide any number by 10, 100, and 1,000
When dividing a number by 10, move the decimal (the dot) one step to the left. When dividing by 100, move the dot 2 steps to the left. If you’re dividing a decimal number by 1,000, then move the decimal 3 spots to the left.
5. Multiply any 2-digit number by 5
- For even numbers: divide them by 2 and then multiply them by 10, or add a 0 at the end.
- For odd numbers: divide by 2 and then multiply by 10.
6. Multiply a number by 9
First, subtract 1 from the number (multiplier) you want to multiply. Then subtract the result from the number 9 (multiplicand). Finally, write the 2 results side by side.
7. Add 2-digit numbers quickly.
Split the numbers into tens and ones. Then, add them independently (tens with tens, ones with ones). Finally, add both results together.
8. Calculate the percentages
A Twitter user shared an excellent hack for doing the percentages and shared it with us. For example, if you want to calculate x% of y, you just need to flip the number. In other words, 4% of 75 is 75% of 4.
How about you? Do you know of any other helpful math tips? Please share them with us in the comments below!
If you want to learn more math hacks, check out our other articles:
- 7 Cool Math Tricks That’ll Help You Solve Any Question in Seconds, click here.
- 2 Nerdy Tricks to Find a Cube Root in Seconds, click here.