How to Multiply Decimals without using a Calculator

The Easy Method for Multiplying Decimals

Here’s how to complete Decimal Multiplication Example Problems

Here’s a quick explanation of how to multiply decimals with a calculator: Multiplication with decimals is a way to multiply decimals with one another. When Multiplying Decimals together you will arrange the decimals vertically. You don’t have to include any zeros for missing spaces. Next, you will Multiply Decimals as though they were simply whole numbers. The final part for discovering multiplication of decimals is to put the decimal point in your answer. To do this you should count the decimal places behind the decimal in the decimals that you multiplied together. This sum will be the number of spaces you move the decimal in your last answer.

4 Steps to Easily Multiply Decimals Together

1. Line up the decimals in order to multiply them together.
2. Multiply the decimals as though they were regular numbers, ignoring the decimal.
3. Count the number of decimal places in both of the decimals.
4. The number of decimals places in the decimals is how many times you move the decimal in your solution.

 

Decimal Multiplication Practice Problem Quiz

 

Watch the video explanation of our Multiplying Decimals Worksheet

Watch our free video on how to Times Decimals. This video shows how to solve problems that are on our free Multiplication with Decimals worksheets that you can get by submitting your email above.

Watch the free Multiplying Decimals video on YouTube here: How to Multiply Decimals Video

Video Transcript:

This video is about how to multiply decimals by whole numbers. You can get the multiplication decimals worksheets​ used in this video for free by clicking on the link in the description below. The process for multiplying decimals is very similar to the process of just multiplying regular integers except you have to account for the decimal point. Now in order to account for the decimal point you’re going to count how many digits there are behind the decimal point in your problem and then you’re going to move the decimal by that number of digits in your answer.

Just to give you a quick example of this we’re going to solve this multiplying decimals example this problem gives us 3.5 times 9.1. We’re going to multiply these just as though they were integers and didn’t have a decimal. You’re going to start with this one you’re going to do 1 times 5 which is 5 and then 1 times 3 which is 3. Then you move over one spot and you can add a 0 if you want, I’ll put a 0 here. We move over 9 times 5 is 45 and we put a 5 here and we put a 4 over here and then 9 times 3 is 27 and then 27 plus 4 is 31. Then we’re going to add. When you add you just add through regular column addition. Five plus zero is five three plus five is eight and then these would be zero plus one. One and then just three now to figure out your solution you’re going to count how many digits were behind the decimals in your original problem. We have one digit here so everything to the right of the decimal counts. We have one digit to the right and then we have a second digit here to the right. This is two decimal places so I’m going to say two digits which means that we have to move the decimal point two times to account for our two digits. We’re going to move this one time two time and leave it right here and our final solution is going to be 31.85. You can see the process for multiplying decimals is very similar to the process of multiplying integers except you have to account for the decimal place by counting the digits behind the decimal. Let’s do a couple practice problems from our multiplying decimals worksheet

Number one on our multiplying decimals worksheets gives us 1.2 times 8.4. Again, we’re going to take these two numbers and we’re going to multiply them as though they were just regular integer numbers. We’re going to say 1.2 times 8.4 and we’re going to draw our line. 1 then we do four times two, which is eight, four times one which is four, then I’m going to add a zero here eight times two is sixteen. I’m going to put a six here and put a 1 over here and then 8 times 1 is 8 and then 8 plus 1 is 9. 9 goes down here then we’re going to add through regular column addition 8 plus 0 is 8 4 plus 6 is 10 and carry the 1 and then 1 plus 9 is also 10. Now to figure out where our decimal point goes, we have to count how many digits are behind the decimals in our original problem. 1.2 has one digit so that’s one digit and then 8.4 also has one digit. Now we have two total digits. We have to move the decimal two places over so we’re going to go one place two places and it ends up in between the zeros. Our final solution is going to be 10.08.

The next problem we’re going to complete on multiplying with decimals on our multiplying decimals worksheet is number five. This problem gives us 1.75 times 4.93. Again, you’re going to write the decimals out just as though they were regular integers into your multiplication problem. Then you multiply just as though they’re normal numbers. 3 times 5 is 15 carry the 1. 3 times 7 is 21 plus 1 is 22 so we put a 2 here carry the 2. 3 times 1 is three, three plus two is five then we add a zero to move on to our nine. Nine times five is forty-five, carry the four nine times seven is 63. 63 plus 4 67 so we put a 7 down here and then carry the 6 and then 9 times 1 is 9 9 plus 6 is 15. Put a 15 here then we move to the four. We have to do two zeros four times five is twenty. Zero here carry the two four times seven is twenty-eight, twenty-eight plus two is thirty. Another zero carry the 3 and then 4 times 1 is 4 4 plus 3 is 7. Then you add these up through regular column addition. 5 plus 0 plus 0 is 5 2 plus 5 plus 0 is seven five plus seven is twelve, twelve plus zero is two carry the one, one plus five is six and then one plus seven is eight. Now we’re going to move our decimal according to how many digits we have behind our decimal places in our original problem. In this case we have 1 2 3 4 digits behind the decimal point so we’re going to move our decimal four times. It moves one two three four times and it ends up in between the eight and the six. Our final solution is going to be 8.6275 and that’s the answer to our multiplying decimals problem.

The last problem we’re going to complete on our multiplying decimals worksheet to show you how do you multiply decimals is number seven. This problem gives us 7.08 times 1.5. I’m going to go ahead and write these out in our multiplication format. Now you will notice that even though they have a different number of digits behind the decimals I do not line up the decimal points I just line them up as though we have regular integers that we’re multiplying together then you complete the multiplication just as we did in the other problems. You do 5 times 8 which is 40 carry the 4. 5 times 0 is 0 0 plus 4 is 4 5 times 7 is 35. I’m going to have a 35 here add our zero 1 times 8 is 8 1 times 0 is 0 and then 1 times seven is seven. We add those together zero plus zero is zero four plus eight is twelve carry the one five plus one is six and then three plus seven is ten. To figure out how many spaces we move the decimal point we count the digit. We have one two three digits behind the decimal. We’re going to move the decimal point three times one two three times it ends up in between the zero and the six and our final solution is 10.620. Hopefully this video was helpful for teaching you how to multiply decimals. Try the practice problems by downloading the free decimal multiplication worksheets above.