How well do you know the multiplication table?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter MadAtom
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Multiplication Table
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the proficiency and memorization of multiplication tables, particularly in the context of mental math skills among students and professionals. Participants share their personal experiences with multiplication, the value they place on mental math, and the impact of technology on their arithmetic abilities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a lack of memorization for multiplication tables, relying instead on mental tricks to arrive at answers.
  • Others emphasize the importance of being able to perform simple math quickly, citing its utility in their careers.
  • Several participants recount their experiences with memorizing multiplication tables in school and how the advent of calculators affected their mental math skills.
  • Some individuals mention specific multiplication facts they struggle with, such as 6*8 and 7*8, and express frustration over these difficulties.
  • There are discussions about whether the teaching methods for multiplication tables are effective and if the base-10 system contributes to certain difficulties in memorization.
  • Participants share various mental math techniques, such as using squares and specific tricks for multiplying by 5.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on the value of memorization versus mental calculation techniques, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness of different approaches and the impact of educational methods.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that their ability to perform mental math is influenced by their educational background and the extent of practice they received in school. There are also references to the limitations of the base-10 system in aiding memorization of certain multiplication facts.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to educators, students, and professionals in STEM fields who are exploring the implications of mental math skills and multiplication table memorization on learning and problem-solving abilities.

  • #61
I knew it in the first years of school, nowadays I just calculate them. It's easy if you make it into parts, 7*3 + 7*3 and it's easy.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #62
If you're going to be doing arithmetic often it is worth learning tables to save time. At school I was taught by wrote - two twos are four, three twos are six etc. up to 12x12. These stuck with me and when I was about 30, while training for a half marathon I extended this up to 20x20 - not much else to do while bashing out the miles at night :).
 
  • #63
When I was 4th grade, my father drove me to school. He made me recite my 12 x 12s every morning. I also had to memorize perfect squares up to 20.
 
  • #64
i'm very good in multiplication tables... all beacuse long time ago I've learned this rules by this site - http://Aztekium.pl/Master :)
It can be helpful for y'all so better check it out.
Regards
 
  • #65
Kevin McHugh said:
When I was 4th grade, my father drove me to school. He made me recite my 12 x 12s every morning. I also had to memorize perfect squares up to 20.
I knew my 1x1s table by 3! :).
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Sophia
  • #66
WWGD said:
I knew my 1x1s table by 3! :).
That's quite old! 3! = 6, and 3! = 6! = 720. I don't really believe you're that old.:oldbiggrin:
It shouldn't take more than a year or two to learn all the products in that table...
 
  • #67
Mark44 said:
That's quite old! 3! = 6, and 3! = 6! = 720. I don't really believe you're that old.:oldbiggrin:
It shouldn't take more than a year or two to learn all the products in that table...

Actually, the double factorial is defined differently than that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_factorial
So ##3! = 3##, which is in line with his statement.

However, I think this notation for double factorials is pretty horrible.
 
  • #68
You're right, micromass. I was interpreting 3! as (3!)!
 
  • #69
I did this in my head while (failing) to fall asleep. Can't bring a calculator to bed.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/joystick-geometry.885203/#post-5568515
I did it rounded to zero decimal places in my head, then followed up in the morning with pencil and paper to one decmial place.
I could do it to an arbitrary number of decimal places*, but there's no point.

*OK, I can't do square roots to more than one decimal place.
 
  • #70
Mark44 said:
You're right, micromass. I was interpreting 3! as (3!)!
But the smiley takes care of any doubt :) ( :))
 

Similar threads

High School Creating Log Tables: Briggs' 400-Year-Old Accomplishment
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
High School Fractional/decimal powers
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
High School Competitive math players -- How do they solve so fast?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
MHB How Do You Manage Database Tables in SQL?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
High School Brushing Up Math Knowledge: Basic Trig Questions
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
LaTeX How do I make use of this space after the table?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad Optimization problem with multiple outputs: impossible?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
High School Plotting the Solar System's planets' distances logarithmically
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
High School How to compute logarithm with pen and paper?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
High School Validating Darts Tournament Skill Levels: A Non-Intrusive Approach
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K