Understanding How to Multiply Thousands

Multiplying thousands can seem tricky at first, but with some simple steps, you can do it easily! When you multiply numbers that have thousands in them, the process is similar to multiplying smaller numbers, but you just have to be careful with zeros.

Step 1: Break Down the Problem

For example, let's say you want to multiply 3,000 × 5. You can think of 3,000 as 3 × 1,000. So:

3,000 × 5 = (3 × 1,000) × 5

Step 2: Multiply the Numbers Without the Zeros

First, multiply the numbers without the zeros: 3 × 5 = 15

Step 3: Add the Zeros Back

Then, multiply by 1,000 (which means adding three zeros): 15 × 1,000 = 15,000

So, 3,000 × 5 = 15,000.

Example 2: Multiply Two Thousands Numbers

What if you want to multiply 2,000 × 4,000?

Step 1: Break down both numbers:

2,000 = 2 × 1,000
4,000 = 4 × 1,000

Step 2: Multiply the numbers without zeros:

2 × 4 = 8

Step 3: Multiply the zeros (1,000 × 1,000 = 1,000,000)

Step 4: Multiply the results:

8 × 1,000,000 = 8,000,000

So, 2,000 × 4,000 = 8,000,000.

Tips to Remember

  • Count how many zeros each number has.
  • Multiply the numbers without zeros.
  • After multiplying, add all the zeros back to the answer.
  • Practice with smaller numbers first.

With these steps, multiplying thousands becomes easy and fun!


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