What Is Multiplication?

Imagine going to a sushi restaurant with your family. 🍣

The waiter puts some chopsticks on your table.

Can you count how many chopsticks there are altogether?

You can count the chopsticks one by one, but that would take a while. 

It would be faster if you do multiplication!

So What Is Multiplication?

      Multiplication is a shortcut for adding over and over again.

Let's look at our chopsticks example:

There are 4 groups of chopsticks.

There are 2 chopsticks in each group.

👉 To find the total number of chopsticks, we can add the chopsticks within the groups.

2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 chopsticks

But that takes a long time!

Let's multiply instead.

      The symbol for multiplication is ×.

Because we are adding a group of 2 chopsticks four times, we can write:

4 groups × 2 chopsticks = 8 chopsticks

This is your first multiplication equation!

4 × 2 = 8
is read as "four times two equals eight"

Multiplication and Skip Counting

Multiplication is just like skip counting an exact number of times.

      Super Tip: to multiply any two numbers, pick one and skip count by it! 

What's 3 × 2?

Let's use the tip and skip count by 3 two times!

👉3, 6.

So 3 × 2 = 6! 👍

We can also skip count with the other factor, 2, three times!

👉2, 4, 6

Still we see that 2 × 3 = 6! 

😺 Super Mega Tip: if skip counting by one of the numbers is too hard, try skip counting by the other one.

Parts of a Multiplication Equation

Just like with addition and subtraction equations, the parts of a multiplication equation have names.

      The product is the answer that you get when you multiply.

      The multiplicand and the multiplier are also called factors.

Tip: The word factors is used most.

      In multiplication, the order of the factors doesn't matter.

So, 4 x 3 is the same as 3 x 4. 👍

Multiplying Cakes! 🤤

Now, you've finished your meal, and you want some cake bites.

They're served in 3 groups of 4.

How many cake bites are there altogether?

To find the answer, we can multiply.

4 cake bites × 3 groups = ?

Tip: If you know how to skip count, you can find the answer to any multiplication problem!

What's 4 × 3?

Let's skip count by 4 three times:

4, 8, 12

Yes, 4 × 3 = 12!

3 groups of 4 = 12 ✅

4 groups of 3 also equals 12 ✅

Let's skip count by 3 four times to check if that's true:

3, 6, 9, 12

Yes, both 4 × 3 and 3 × 4 equal 12!

There are 12 cake bites altogether.

Great job! 🎉

😃 Multiplication is faster than doing repeated addition.

By the end of 3rd grade, you'll be a master at multiplication!

Now, try the practice.