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Mental Maths Tricks

Three tricks that make hard-looking sums easy. Learn them, then challenge a grown-up to a race with the calculator app. You'll win.

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Mental Maths Tricks

Read the full instructions and gather your supplies before starting.

Step 1 of 5

Times 11. Take any two-digit number, say 45. Add the two digits: 4 + 5 = 9. Put that in the middle: 4 9 5. So 45 × 11 = 495.

If the digits add up to 10 or more, carry the 1. 78 × 11: 7 + 8 = 15, so it's 7, 15, 8, which becomes 858.

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Time15 min
You get3 tricks in your back pocket
DifficultyMediumBarely a mess
SectionLearning

This one is all yours

Nothing sharp, nothing hot, nowhere far. Tell someone what you're up to, then go ahead and do it on your own.

How to do it

5 steps. Tap one when it's done.

  1. Show the answer

    45 × 11 is really 45 × 10 plus 45 × 1, so 450 + 45. The 4 and 5 stay on the ends, and the 4 + 5 lands in the middle because that's where the two copies overlap.

Why that works

None of these are magic. Each one is a normal sum rearranged so the hard part disappears. Times 11 is 10 lots plus 1 lot. Times 5 is half of times 10. The finger trick works because every multiple of 9 has digits that add to 9.