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Tricks · Multiplying

Multiply by 11

Any number times 11. It is quickest with two digits, such as 36 × 11 or 78 × 11, and works for longer numbers too.

n × 11

The trick, step by step

  1. Write the two digits with a gap between them.

  2. Add the two digits and put the sum in the gap: 3 + 6 = 9.

  3. That is the answer: 36 × 11 = 396.

  4. If the sum is 10 or more, write only its last digit in the gap and add 1 to the left digit: 78 × 11 → 7, 15, 8 → 858.

  5. Longer numbers: keep the last digit, then add each digit to the one on its right: 347 × 11 → 3, 3 + 4, 4 + 7, 7 → 3, 7 + 1 carried, 1, 7 → 3817.

given working answer taken away

Why it works

A two digit number is 10a + b. Times 11 it is 110a + 11b = 100a + 10(a + b) + b: the first digit a stays in the hundreds, the sum a + b lands in the tens, and b stays in the ones. A sum of 10 or more carries 1 into the hundreds. Longer numbers work the same way, because n × 11 = n × 10 + n adds every digit to its neighbour.

Practise this trick