Trick 1: Multiply Any Number By 11
Suppose you want to solve 58 x 11. Can you solve it in less than 5 seconds? Probably you can't. That's because you don't know one little trick for multiplication by 11. The math trick for
multiplying by 11 goes like this:
Imagine the problem like N x 11. Now follow the steps:
1. The last digit of the answer is the second digit of N.
2. The middle digit of the answer is the last digit of the sum of both digits of N.
3. The first digit of the answer is the first digit of N plus the carry if there's one.
Now let's apply the steps with our previous example of 58 x 11:
1. Last digit: 8.
2. Middle digit: 3. The sum of the digits of 58 is 5 + 8 = 13.
3. First digit: 5 + 1 = 6. Notice that we have a carry because in the previous step we found that the sum of the digits of N is bigger than 10.
So, we conclude that 58 x 11 = 638
Trick 2: Squaring Two-digit Numbers
Take for example that you want to square 56. Follow the steps given below to solve it in seconds:
Step 1: Add the last digit of the number you are trying to square to the entire number itself, creating your sum. So, we have 56 + 6 = 62.
Step 2: Multiply the sum (Step 1) by the first digit of the base number. So, we get 62 times 5 which is equal to 310.
Step 3: Square the last digit of the base number. So, we get 62 = 36.
Step 4: Append the square number (Step 3) to the product calculated above (Step 2).
Hence, our answer will be 3136.
Note: If you calculate the squared value in step 3 and the result is a double-digit number, don’t fret. Just like when you were in elementary school, you have to carry the one, and add it on!
Trick 3: Multiplication By 9, 99, 999
There is a simple yet powerful trick to multiply any number by 9, 99, and 999. The trick is given below:
Multiplying a number by 9 is just like multiplying it by (10-1).
For example, multiplying 9 × 9 is 9(10-1) whose result is 90-9 = 81
Another example:
9 × 68 = 68 (10-1)
= 680 - 68
= 612
Finger method for multiplication table of 9:
A simple way to do the "9" multiplication table is to place both hands in front of you with fingers and thumbs extended. To multiply 9 by a number, fold down that number finger, counting from the
left.
Examples: To multiply 9 by 5, fold down the fifth finger from the left. Count fingers on either side of the "fold" to get the answer. In this case, the answer is 45.
To multiply 9 times 6, fold down the sixth finger, giving an answer of 54.
To multiply a number by 99 is the same as by (100-1)
47 multiplied by 99
= 47 (100-1)
= 4700 - 47 = 4653
Multiplying a number by 1000 means the same as multiplying the same by (1000-1)
Therefore, 55 multiplied by 1000 is the same as 55(1000-1)
= 55000 - 55
= 54945
Trick 4: How to Tell The Day For Any Date?
Can you tell the day for any date without a calendar at hand? Is that really possible? It is actually a simple skill that any one can learn. It is also very practical as you may always consider your
availability for an activity or an event or you just need to know the day of anyone's birthday.
Trick: You may need to memorize some codes to learn this trick, but they are very easy to remember.
First, we assign a code number to every day of the week.
1. Monday - 1
2. Tuesday - 2
3. Wednesday - 3
4. Thursday - 4
5. Friday - 5
6. Saturday - 6
Second, we assign a code number for every month of the year. These month codes are used for every year with two exceptions. In a leap year, the month code for January is 5 and for February is 1.
The month codes with the corresponding mnemonics are as follows:
1. January - 6 (WINTER has 6 letters)
2. February - 2 (2nd month)
3. March - 2 (You march with 2 feet)
4. April - 5 (APRIL has 5 letters)
5. May - 0 (MAY0 for mayonnaise)
6. June - 3 (JUN has 3 letters)
7. July - 5 (JULIE has 5 letters)
8. August - 1 (August begins with an A, the 1st letter)
9. September - 4 (SEPT has 4 letters)
10. October - 6 (Maths 'TRICKS' has 6 letters)
11. November - 2 (2nd last month)
12. December - 4 (XMAS has 4 letters)
Third, we assign a code number for every year. For example, the year code for 2011 is 6.
Formula to calculate the day:
Day of the week = (Month code + Date + Year Code) mod 7
Note: mod 7 indicates the remainder you get when you divide by 7.
Let's understand this trick with an example:
Example 1: What is the day for July 16, 2011?
⇒ Day of the week = (Month code + Date + Year Code) mod 7
Day of the week = (5 + 16 + 6) mod 7 = 27 mod 7 = 6 (Therefore, it's a Saturday)
Example 2: What is the day for December 25, 2011?
⇒ Day of the week = (Month code + Date + Year Code) mod 7
Day of the week = (4 + 25 + 6) mod 7 = 35 mod 7 = 0 (Therefore, it's a Sunday)
Trick 5: Memorize The Value Of Pi
If you are also the one who always gets confused about the value of pi (who wouldn't since pi is a never ending number!), there is a neat trick to memorize the initial 7 digits. The trick is given
below:
To remember the first seven digits of pi, count the number of letters in each word of the sentence:
"How I wish I could calculate pi."
This becomes 3.141592.
Trick 6: Divisibility Rules
Many a times we want to know if a number is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. We can use these simple divisibility rules to know for sure if the number will be divided exactly or not.
Take a number 210. We check if it is divisible or not by following the divisibility rules given below:
1. Divisible by 2 if the last digit is a multiple of 2 (210 is divisible by 2 since the last digit i.e. 0 is a multiple of 2).
2. Divisible by 3 if the sum of the digits is divisible by 3 (210 is divisible by 3 since the sum of the digits which is 3 is divisble by 3).
3. Divisible by 4 if the last two digits are divisible by 4 (210 is not divisible by 4 since because 10 is not divisible by 4).
4. Divisible by 5 if the last digit is 0 or 5 (210 is divisible by 5 since the last digit is 0).
5. Divisible by 6 if it passes the rules for both 2 and 3 (210 is divisible by 6 since it passes both rule 2 and rule 3).
6. Divisible by 9 if the sum of the digits is divisible by 9 (210 is not divisble by 9 since 2 + 1 + 0 = 3 is not divisible by 9).
7. Divisible by 10 if the number ends in a 0 (210 is divisible by 10 since the last digit is 0).
8. Divisible by 12 if the rules for divisibility by 3 and 4 apply (210 is not divisible by 12 since it is not divisible by both 3 and 4).
Trick 7: Multiplying Large Numbers If One Of Them Is Even
When multiplying large numbers, if one of the numbers is even, divide the first number in half, and then double the second number. This method will solve the problem quickly. For instance,
consider
30 x 150
Step 1: Divide the 30 by 2, which equals 15. Double 150, which equals 300.
Step 2: Multiply your two answers together.
So, 15 x 300 = 4500
The answer to 30 x 150 is 4500
Trick 8: Adding Large Numbers
Adding large numbers just in your head can be difficult. This method shows how to simplify this process by making all the numbers a multiple of 10. Here is an example:
726 + 233
While these numbers are hard to contend with, rounding them up will make them more manageable. So, 726 becomes 730 and 233 becomes 240.
Now, add 730 and 240 together. The total is 970.
To find the answer to the original equation, it must be determined how much we added to the numbers to round them up.
730 – 726 = 4 and 240 – 233 = 7
Now, add 4 and 7 together for a total of 11.
To find the answer to the original equation, 11 must be subtracted from the 970.
So, 970 – 11 = 959
So the answer to 726 + 233 is 959.
Trick 9: Find Percentage Easily
Suppose we have to find 5% of 475. Using long method, you can calculate it by writing 5/100 then muliplying it by 475 and calculating it. However, that is a time-consuming process and every
second matters in a competitive exam. So, follow the steps given below to calculate this percentage in a pinch.
1. For the given number, move the decimal point over by one place. 475 becomes 47.5
2. Then divide the number 47.5 by 2, we get 23.75.
3. 23.75 is the solution to the given problem.
Trick 10: Calculate Square Of Numbers Ending In 5
Suppose we have to find the square of 75 (ends in 5). Follow the steps given below to calculate it quickly.
1. Start writing the answer of last two digits number that is 25 because any number that ends with 5 is 25.
2. Take the first digit of the number 75. That is 7 and take the number that follows 7 is 8.
3. Now, multiply 7 and 8, we get the number 56.
4. Finally, write the number 56 in the prefix and combined with 25 what we already wrote.
5. So, the answer is 5625.
Formula: Squares Ending in 5: n5 = n(n+1)52 = n(n+1)25 , where n is the first digit.
Bonus Trick: Adding & Subtracting Fractions Using Butterfly Method
There is clean trick to add and subtract simple fractions without needing any pen and paper. Suppose we have to add 5/7 and 2/5. Use the trick given below to add it quickly:
Steps are listed below:
Step 1: Multiply the numerator of the first fraction with the denominator of the second fraction and write the product on the top left.
Step 2: Multiply the numerator of the second fraction with the denominator of the first fraction and write the product on the top right.
Step 3: Multiply the denominator of the first fraction with the denominator of the second fraction and write the product on the bottom.
Step 4: Add the two products at the top and write the sum.
Step 5: The sum thet you got will be the numerator of the fraction and the product from Step 3 will be denominator.
To subtract fractions, only the Step 4 will be changed. Insted of adding the two products, we will subtract them.
