Use the formal written method to multiply up to 4-digit numbers by 2-digit and 3-digit numbers.
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Each file is an editable Word document (.docx) with 25 questions in five columns. It opens in Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, so you can change questions or add working space before printing.
Long multiplication breaks a multiplication into easier ones: multiply by the ones, then the tens, then the hundreds, and add the rows. A zero placeholder keeps every digit in the correct column.
Example 1
3-digit × 2-digit
346 × 27
Estimate first: 346 is close to 350 and 27 is close to 30. 350 × 30 = 10,500.
Multiply by each digit of the bottom number, starting with the ones. For the tens digit, write a 0 in the ones place first (a placeholder), because we are really multiplying by a multiple of 10. For the hundreds digit, write two zeros.
Each row is a partial product: 346 × 7 = 2,422; 346 × 20 = 6,920.
Add the rows: 2,422 + 6,920 = 9,342.
The answer is 9,342, which is close to the estimate of 10,500.
Answer: 9,342
Example 2
4-digit × 3-digit
2,138 × 146
Estimate first: 2,138 is close to 2,000 and 146 is close to 150. 2,000 × 150 = 300,000.
Multiply by each digit of the bottom number, starting with the ones. For the tens digit, write a 0 in the ones place first (a placeholder), because we are really multiplying by a multiple of 10. For the hundreds digit, write two zeros.