Easy mental squaring tricks

Squaring numbers between 40 and 60. Prerequisites: One should remember squares of numbers up to 9 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, Steps Note 1: Take 50 as the reference 1. Subtract 50 from the given number. Note2: This number is +ve or negative as the number is more or less than 50. 2. Find the square of this number and get the least significant two digits. Note 3: If the difference is less than 4 then the two occupied digits shoulld be 01, 04 or 09. 3. Add or subtract the difference to 25 and get the last two digits of the square. Example1: Find the square of 47 47 Step1 gives the difference as -3 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 09 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 25 -3 = 22 And the result is 2209.

472 = 2209 Example2: Find the square of 56 Step1 gives the difference as +6 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 36 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 25 +6 = 31 And the result is 3136. 562 = 3136

Squaring numbers less than 40 and more than 60 Prerequisites: One should remember squares from 10 to 25. The same steps are to be followed but this time the difference is more than 10 and the square of the difference is a three digit number. Just take the hundreds digit as carry and add to the result of step 3. Example3: Find the square of 38 Step 1 gives the difference as -12 (-12)2 = 144 First two digits are 44 the last two digits are 25 -12 +1 ( carry) = 14 the result is 1444 382 = 1444

Example4: Find the square of 63 Step 1 gives the difference as 13 132 = 169 First two digits are 69 the last two digits are 25 +13 +1 ( carry) = 39 the result is 3969 632 = 3969

Squaring numbers close to 100 Numbers between 90 and 110 Note 1: Take 100 as the reference 1. Subtract 100 from the given number. Note2: This number is +ve or negative as the number is more or less than 100. 2. Find the square of this number and get the least significant two digits. Note 3: If the difference is less than 4 then the two occupied digits should be 01, 04 or 09. 3. Add or subtract the difference to the number itself ( unlike 25 in the previous case) and get the last two digits of the square.

Example5: Find the square of 93

Step1 gives the difference as -7 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 49 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 93 -7 = 86 And the result is 8649. The square of 93 is 8649

Example6: 104 Step1 gives the difference as 4 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 16 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 104 +4 = 108 And the result is 10816. The square of 104 is 10816 Example7: 86 Step 1 gives the difference with 100 as -14 142 = 196 First two digits are 96 the last two digits are 86-14 +1 ( carry) = 73 the result is 7396 862 = 7396

Squaring numbers close to 200 Numbers between 190 and 210 Note 1: Take 200 as the reference 1. Subtract 200 from the given number. Note2: This number is +ve or negative as the number is more or less than 200. 2. Find the square of this number and get the least significant two digits. Note 3: If the difference is less than 4 then the two occupied digits should be 01, 04 or 09. 3. Add or subtract the difference to the number itself multiply the result by 2 and get the remaining digits of the square.

Example8: Find the square of 193 Step1 gives the difference with 200 as -7 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 49 Step 3 gives the remaining digits of the square as 2*(193 -7) = 372 And the result is 37249. The square of 193 is 37249

Example9: 204 Step1 gives the difference with 200 as 4

Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 16 Step 3 gives the remaining digits of the square as 2*(204 +4) = 416 And the result is 41616. The square of 204 is 41616 Example10: 186 Step 1 gives the difference with 200 as -14 142 = 196 First two digits are 96 the remaining digits are 2*(186-14) +1 ( carry) = 345 the result is 34596 1862 = 34596

Squaring numbers close to 300 Numbers between 290 and 310 Note 1: Take 300 as the reference 1. Subtract 300 from the given number. Note2: This number is +ve or negative as the number is more or less than 300. 2. Find the square of this number and get the least significant two digits.

Note 3: If the difference is less than 4 then the two occupied digits should be 01, 04 or 09. 3. Add or subtract the difference to the number itself multiply the result by 3 and get the remaining digits of the square.

Example8: Find the square of 293 Step1 gives the difference with 200 as -7 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 49 Step 3 gives the remaining digits of the square as 3*(293 -7) = 858 And the result is 85849. The square of 293 is 85849

Example9: 304 Step1 gives the difference with 300 as 4 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 16 Step 3 gives the remaining digits of the square as 3*(304 +4) = 924 And the result is 92416. The square of 304 is 92416 Example10: Find the square of 286 Step 1 gives the difference with 200 as -14 142 = 196

First two digits are 96 the remaining digits are 3*(286-14) +1 ( carry) = 3*272 +1 = 817 the result is 81796 2862 = 81796 This leads to a simple generalisation for numbers close to n th 100. e.g. : with 400 as the base the multiplier is 4. With 600 as the base 6 is the multiplier. Students should try to generalise the rule and verify the result with the calculator for themselves.

For Number close to 500 a method similar to the one for 50 can be extended. Squaring numbers between 490 and 510. Prerequisites: One should remember squares of numbers upto 9 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, Steps Note 1: Take 500 as the reference 1. Subtract 500 from the given number. Note2: This number is +ve or negative as the number is more or less than 50. 2. Find the square of this number and get the least significant three digits.

Note 3: If the difference is less than 4 then the three occupied digits should be 001, 004 or 009. 3. Add or subtract the difference to 250 and get the remaining digits of the square. Example1: Find the square of 497 497 Step1 gives the difference with 500 as -3 Step 2 gives the first three digits of the square as 009 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 250 -3 = 247 And the result is 247009. 4972 = 247009 Example2: Find the square of 506 Step1 gives the difference as +6 Step 2 gives the first two digits of the square as 036 Step 3 gives the last two digits of the square as 250 +6 = 256 And the result is 256036. 5062 = 256036

Squaring numbers less than 490 and more than 510 Prerequisites: One should remember squares from 10 to 25.

The same steps are to be followed but this time the difference is more than 10 and the square of the difference is a three digit number. Example3: Find the square of 488 Step 1 gives the difference as -12 (-12)2 = 144 First three digits are 144 the remaining digits are 250 -12 = 238 the result is 238144 4882 = 238144

Example4: Find the square of 513 Step 1 gives the difference as 13 132 = 169 First three digits are 169 the remaining digits are 250 +13 = 263 the result is 263169 5132 = 263169 ***************************************************************

Some general techniques Start with a very simple case of squaring numbers of the form

10x +5 The square is simply 100x(x+1) +25 which helps writing the square instantly. Examples 152 = 225 obtained by writing 25 and prefixing it with 1*(1+1) =2 652 = 4225 obtained by writing 25 and prefixing it with 6*(6+1) =42 1052 = 11025 obtained by writing 25 and prefixing it with 10*(10+1) =110 Having found an easy trick for squaring numbers ending in 5 we can find the square of other numbers as follows like for numbers ending in 6. (10x +6)2 = (10x +5)2 + (10x +5) + (10x +6) The first part on the right side can be evaluated by the previous trick and then what remains is to add (10x +5) and then (10x +6). Example: 362 = 352 +35 +36 = 1225 +35 +36 = 1296 Example: 962 = 952 +95 +96 = 9025 +95 +96 = 9216

Having found an easy trick for squaring numbers ending in 5 we can find the square of other numbers as follows like for numbers ending in 4. (10x +4)2 = (10x +5)2 - (10x +5) - (10x +4) The first part on the right side can be evaluated by the previous trick and then what remains is to subtract (10x +5) and then (10x +4). Example: 342 = 352 -35 -34 = 1225 -35 -34 = 1156 Example: 942 = 952 -95 -94 = 9025 -189 = 8836

Note: There are better tricks to find square of numbers close to 100 explained in coming pages. Having found an easy trick for squaring numbers ending in 5 we can also find the square of other numbers as follows like for numbers ending in 3. (10x +3)2 = (10x +5)2 -4*(10x+4) The first part on the right side can be evaluated by the previous trick and then what remains is to subtract twice (10x +4) . Example: 332 = 352 -4*34 = 1225 -136 = 1089 Example: 932 = 952 -4*94 = 9025 -476 = 8649 Having found an easy trick for squaring numbers ending in 5 we can find the square of other numbers as follows like for numbers ending in 7. (10x +7)2 = (10x +5)2 + 4* (10x +6) The first part on the right side can be evaluated easily and then what remains is to add 4 times (10x +6). Example: 372 = 352 + 4*36 = 1225 + 144 = 1369 Example: 972 = 952 + 4*96 = 9025 + 384 = 9409 For numbers of the type 10x +1 the method is (10x+1)2 = 100x2 + 10x + (10x +1) 312 = 302 + 30 + 31 = 961 912 = 902 + 90 + 91 = 8100 + 181 = 8281 For numbers of the type 10x +2

(10x+2)2 = 100x2 + 4(10x +1) 422 = 402 + 4*(41) = 1600 + 164 = 1764 822 = 802 + 4*(81) = 6400 + 324 = 6724

For numbers of the type 10x -1 the method is (10x-1)2 = 100x2 -10x -(10x +1) 292 = 302 - 30 - 29 = 841 892 = 902 - 90 - 89 = 8100 - 179 = 7921 For numbers of the type 10x -2 (10x-2)2 = 100x2 - 4(10x +1) 382 = 402 - 4*(39) = 1600 -156 = 1444 782 = 802 - 4*(79) = 6400 - 316 = 6084

Note: Suitable trick is chosen as per whether the unit place is smaller than 5 and close to 5 or 0 else the unit place is larger than 5 and close to 5 or 10.