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How To Multiply Numbers #3

Home > By Subject > Multiplication > Multiplication: by 2-digits

We've already seen how to multiply by single digit numbers using this simple method as well as this quicker way using regrouping. We can combine these two methods of multiplying to multiply by 2-digit numbers as shown in the example below:

Multiplying by 2-Digit Numbers

586 x 23 =

Multiply the ones (3 x 6 = 18). Write 8 in the ones' place and carry the 1 forward to the tens'

5 8 6
x 2 3

¹8

Multiply the tens and add what was carried forward (3 x 8 = 24 + 1 = 25). Write 5 in the tens' place and carry the 2 forward to the hundreds'

5 8 6
x 2 3

²5¹8

Multiply the hundreds and add what was carried forward (3 x 5 = 15 + 2 = 17). Write 7 in the tens' place and the 1 forward in the thousands'

5 8 6
x 2 3

1 7²5¹8

Add a zero* and multiply the ones (2 x 6 = 12). Write 2 in the tens' place and carry the 1 forward to the hundreds'

5 8 6
x 2 3

1 7²5¹8
¹2 0

Multiply the tens and add what was carried forward (2 x 8 = 16 + 1 =17). Write 7 in the hundreds' place and carry the 1 forward to the thousands'

5 8 6
x 2 3

1 7²5¹8
¹7¹2 0

Multiply the hundreds' and add what was carried forward (2 x 5 = 10 + 1 =11). Write 1 in the thousands place and 1 in the ten thousands'

5 8 6
x 2 3

1 7²5¹8
1 1¹7¹2 0

Add the two products to get the answer.

5 8 6
x 2 3

1 7²5¹8
1 1¹7¹2 0

1 3 4 7 8

586 x 23 = 13478

* We really wanted to multiply by 20, not 2. Adding a zero and multiplying by 2 is the same as multiplying by 20.

Try the worksheets below for more practice with multiplying by 2-digit numbers.

2 x 2 digit - no regrouping e.g. 42 x 23
2 x 2 digit - regrouping e.g. 57 x 34
3 x 2 digit e.g. 234 x 36
4 x 1 digit e.g. 5316 x 8
4 x 2 digit e.g. 5316 x 28
3 x 3 digit e.g. 829 x 115

You'll find more printable multiplication worksheets here.

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