BEATCALC:  Beat the Calculator!

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Back to Calculation Tips & Tricks
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From the BEATCALC mailing list:
a weekly service from B. Lee Clay, archived here by the Math Forum.
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   Dividing a repeating 6-digit number by 7,
                then by 13

  1. Select a 3-digit number.
  2. Repeat these digits to make a 6-digit number.
  3. Divide these 6 digits by 7, then by 13.
  4. The answer is 11 times the first three digits!

   Example:

  1. If the 3-digit number selected is 234:
  2. The 6-digit number is 234234.
  3. Divide by 7, then by 13: multiply by 11
    - to multiply 234 by 11, work right to left:
    last digit on right = _ _ _ 4
    next digit to left = 3 + 4 = 7: _ _ 7 _
    next digit to left = 2 + 3 = 5: _ 5 _ _
    last digit on left = 2 _ _ _
  4. So 234234 divided by 7, then 13 is 2574.

   See the pattern?

  1. If the 3-digit number selected is 461:
  2. The 6-digit number is 461461.
  3. Divide by 7, then by 13: multiply by 11
    - to multiply 461 by 11, work right to left:
    last digit on right = _ _ _ 1
    next digit to left = 6 + 1 = 7: _ _ 7 _
    next digit to left = 4 + 6 = 10: _ 0 _ _
    last digit on left = 4 + 1(carry) = 5: 5 _ _ _
  4. So 461461 divided by 7, then 13 is 5071.

Practice multiplying by 11 - this process works for multiplying any number by 11.


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25 November 1996
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