BEATCALC:  Beat the Calculator!

___________________________________________
Back to Calculation Tips & Tricks
___________________________________________

From the BEATCALC mailing list:
a weekly service from B. Lee Clay, archived here by the Math Forum.
To subscribe to the BEATCALC mailing list, write to BEATCALC@aol.com.


    Squaring a 2-digit number ending in 7

  1. Choose a 2-digit number ending in 7.
  2. The last digit of the answer is always 9: _ _ _ 9
  3. Multiply the first digit by 4 and add 4
    (keep the carry): _ _ X _
  4. Multiply the first digit by the next consecutive number and
    add the carry: the product is the first two digits:
    XX _ _.

   Example:

  1. If the number is 47:
  2. The last digit of the answer is 9: _ _ _ 9
  3. Multiply the first digit (4) by 4 and add 4
    (keep the carry): 4 x 4 = 16, 16 + 4 = 20; the next
    digit of the answer is 0 (keep carry 2): _ _ 0 9
  4. Multiply the first digit (4) by the next number (5)
    and add the carry (2):
    4 x 5 = 20, 20 + 2 = 22 (the first two digits): 2 2 _ _
  5. So 47 x 47 = 2209.

   See the pattern?

  1. For 67 x 67
  2. The last digit of the answer is 9: _ _ _ 9
  3. Multiply the first digit (6) by 4 and add 4 (keep the
    carry): 4 x 6 = 24, 24 + 4 = 28; the next digit of the
    answer is 0 (keep carry 2): _ _ 8 9
  4. Multiply the first digit (6) by the next number (7)
    and add the carry (2):
    6 x 7 = 42, 42 + 2 = 44 (the first two digits): 4 4 _ _
  5. So 67 x 67 = 4489.
     


webmaster@forum.swarthmore.edu
14 January 1996
Web page design by Sarah Seastone