Learn the Multiplication Tables in Less Than 2 Minutes, by rightmind.life on YouTube. 1 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Hold both hands up in front of you with palms facing your face. Each hand will stand for one of the two numbers you are multiplying.
Take the first number and hold up that number minus five fingers on one hand. For 7, hold up 2 fingers. For 8, hold up 3.
Do the same on the other hand for the second number. For 6 x 9, one hand shows 1 finger and the other shows 4.
Add the raised fingers on both hands together and multiply that total by 10. For 7 x 8: 2 + 3 = 5, so you have 50.
Now look at the fingers still folded down. On each hand that is five minus the fingers you raised there.
Multiply the two folded counts together. For 7 x 8 the left hand has 3 folded and the right has 2, so 3 x 2 = 6.
Add the two answers together. For 7 x 8 that is 50 + 6 = 56, which is the correct answer.
Say the sum and the answer out loud, then check it against a written table. Repeat with other pairs until the steps feel automatic.
Tips and common mistakes
The method only covers 6 x 6 to 10 x 10, so learn the 1 to 5 tables by heart first.
Say each number out loud as you raise the fingers, or you will lose track halfway through.
Practise one table at a time, such as every sum with a 7 in it, before mixing numbers.
Check a few answers on paper before relying on this in a test.
Questions
Does this work for 5 x 5 or 11 x 11?
No. It only works from 6 to 10. Below 6 the folded fingers no longer match the numbers, and above 10 you run out of fingers.
Does it matter which hand holds which number?
No. Swapping the numbers gives the same raised total and the same folded total, so the answer does not change.
Why do the raised fingers count as tens?
Each raised finger stands for five, and the two hands together make ten per finger. That is why you add the raised fingers and multiply by 10.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
