Multiplying

Maybe multiplying with decimal

points seems a little scary! BUT…
There is a simple 3-step trick to
multiply decimal point numbers
just as if they were whole
While we learn the steps, we will
look at the example:

5.8
X7
Step 1
Count the number of digits
to the right of the decimal
point 5.8 1 digit

X7
Step 2
Justignore the decimal point!
Multiply just as if they were
normal whole numbers
5

55.8
8
X7
40 6
 Step 3
Use the number of digits from Step 1
to count out where to put the decimal
We counted 1 digit
5.8
in Step 1, so we
X7
move the decimal
.6 .
4 0now
point by 1 place to the left
That’s It!
Our final answer is:
5.8
X7
4 0.6
 What are we Really Doing?
• When we “ignore” a decimal point,
we are really multiplying by 10 for
each digit to the right of the
decimal.

58
5.8 x 10

X7
 What are we Really Doing?
• Now you multiply the numbers
without decimals
58
X7
406
• BUT DON’T FORGET WE
MULTIPLIED BY 10 EARLIER!
 What are we Really Doing?
• So now we divide by 10
58 / 10

X7
4 0 6 / 10 4 0 .6 .
• Moving the decimal to the left one
place is the same as dividing by 10!
Let’s try it again with more digits to
the right of the decimal point this
time
0.024
X 0.61
What was Step 1?
• Count the digits to the right of the
decimal point
From 0.024, how many digits?
3
What about from 0.61?

That
2
gives a total of:

5
 What was Step 2?
• Ignore the decimal points

 That means that 0.024 becomes:

24
 In the same way, 0.61 is:

61
Now we just multiply that out
2
24
X 61
2 4
14 4 0
1464
What was Step 3?
• Place the decimal point in our answer
• What did we count in Step 1? Now move
the decimal that many places to the left
0.024
X 0.61
But wait! There are
1 4only
6 4 4. numbers!
Since we need to move the decimal
point 5 places to the left but only have 4
numbers, we write the 0 out in front.

0.024
X 0.61
.0 1 4 6 4 .
Don’t forget, its the same as
dividing by 10, five times
For our final answer, we have

0.024
X 0.61
0.01464

Why It Works
All we are really doing is multiplying and
dividing by powers of 10 as needed to make the
problem easier
When we turned 0.024 into 24, we
multiplied it by 10 three times

1.) 0.024 x 10 = 0.24

2.) 0.24 x 10 = 2.4
3.) 2.4 x 10 = 24
Also, 0.61 becomes 61 by
multiplying by 10 twice
Each time we move the decimal to
the right on place we are
multiplying by 10
That’s why we count, so we can
divide by 10 the same number of
times later
Everybody think of a number

Multiply that number by 10

Divide that number by 10

What do you have now?

 Canoeing
If a group of people set out in 14
canoes, and they each canoe for
8.6 miles, how many total miles
were traveled by the canoes?

120.4 miles
Backpacks
 The canoers weighed all their packs
before leaving and found that all
together they weighed 195.2 lbs. If 1 lb
= 0.45 kg, how many kilograms of gear
have the canoers brought along?

87.84 kgs
Remember the 3 steps:
• Count the number of digits to the
right of the decimals
• Ignore the decimals and multiply
• Place the decimal in the answer by
moving it back to the left by the same
number of digits as before
Dividing
 When we divide numbers with decimal
points, we use the same idea as
multiplying them
 Keeping everything lined up is key!

6.2 21.08
 Step 1
Multiply both the divisor and dividend
by whatever power of 10 we need so
that the divisor is a whole number

6.2 21.08

62 210.8
 Step 2
Divide just like normal
Ignore the decimal point

3 4
1 1 0 10
62 210.8
186
248
248
0
 Step 3
Bring up the decimal point
 The decimal point in the quotient is placed directly above
where it is in the number being divided.
divided

3 .4
62 210.8
This is why keeping numbers
aligned is so important!
 Why It Works
Just like before, when we multiply and
divide by the same number, we don’t
change what we started with
Look at the division like this:

21.08 21.08 x 10 210.8

= =
6.2 6.2 x 10 62
Notice that by multiplying both the
divisor and the dividend by 10, all we
really did is multiply by a special form
of 1

21.08 x 10 =
21.08 x 1
6.2 10 6.2
Backpacks, Again
 If each canoer carries 5.49 kgs of gear
while hiking (out of the total 87.84 kgs),
how many canoers are there total? Note:
some canoes may have more than one
canoer.

16 canoers
Kilograms
If1 lb = 0.45 kg, how many pounds is
each canoer carrying when every
backpack is 5.49 kgs?

12.2 lbs
3 Steps of Division:
• Multiply both the divisor and the
dividend by a power of 10
• Ignore the decimal and divide like
normal
• Bring up the decimal from its
position in the divisor