When you are done with this page, try the Multiplying Decimals Quiz.
Multiplying decimals is more confusing than addition and subtraction - it is a case of less is more and more is less often. One is not concerned wtih lining up the numbers by place value, but more concerned with how many decimal places are in the answer based on the two numbers being multiplied. Some of the examples below illustrate this.
The first one is fairly simple:
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.2 |
Two tenths timesIn this case |
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3 |
Three |
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.6 |
Six tenths |
In this case it is very similar to adding two tenths three times which would be six tenths.
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.2 |
Two tenths times |
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.3 |
Three tenths |
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.06 |
Six hundredths |
In this case, one is getting two tenths of three tenths. One must split three tenths into tenths which would be hundredths. Two tenths of three tenths would then be six hundredths. Notice that if you multiply the top two numbers, the answer must have the same number of decimal places as the two numbers multiplied combined. Since there is one decimal place in two tenths and one decimal place in three tenths, the total number of decimal places is two. The answer must have two decimal places.
1.3 |
One and three tenths times |
One decimal place |
0.4 |
Four tenths |
One decimal place |
.52 |
Fifty-two hundredths |
Two decimal places |
Again, the first number has one decimal place. The second number has one decimal place. Thus the answer must have two decimal places Again, more is less as one is really asking for one and three tenths of four tenths.
Return to Decimals Main Page.
| Place Value | Adding Decimals | Subtracting Decimals | Multiplying Decimals |
| Dividing Decimals | Decimals & Money | Metric Measurement | Percents |
