Class 2 — Mathematics
Introduction to Multiplication
Class 2
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to understand multiplication as repeated addition.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to write multiplication facts for given repeated additions.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to recite and write multiplication tables of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to solve simple real-life problems using multiplication.
Key concepts
Multiplication is a quick way of adding the same number many times. It is also called repeated addition. For example, if you have 3 groups of 2 apples each, you can find the total number of apples by adding 2 + 2 + 2 = 6. Using multiplication, we can write this as '3 times 2', or 3 x 2 = 6. Here, 'x' is the symbol for multiplication.
When we add the same number again and again, we can write it in a shorter way using multiplication. The number of times a number is added tells us the first number in the multiplication fact, and the number being added tells us the second number.\n\nExample 1:\n2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8\nHere, 2 is added 4 times. So, we write it as 4 x 2 = 8.\n\nExample 2:\n5 + 5 + 5 = 15\nHere, 5 is added 3 times. So, we write it as 3 x 5 = 15.
Multiplication tables help us to quickly find the answer when we multiply numbers. Let us learn the tables of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10.\n\nTable of 2:\n1 x 2 = 2\n2 x 2 = 4\n3 x 2 = 6\n4 x 2 = 8\n5 x 2 = 10\n6 x 2 = 12\n7 x 2 = 14\n8 x 2 = 16\n9 x 2 = 18\n10 x 2 = 20\n\nTable of 3:\n1 x 3 = 3\n2 x 3 = 6\n3 x 3 = 9\n4 x 3 = 12\n5 x 3 = 15\n6 x 3 = 18\n7 x 3 = 21\n8 x 3 = 24\n9 x 3 = 27\n10 x 3 = 30\n\nTable of 4:\n1 x 4 = 4\n2 x 4 = 8\n3 x 4 = 12\n4 x 4 = 16\n5 x 4 = 20\n6 x 4 = 24\n7 x 4 = 28\n8 x 4 = 32\n9 x 4 = 36\n10 x 4 = 40\n\nTable of 5:\n1 x 5 = 5\n2 x 5 = 10\n3 x 5 = 15\n4 x 5 = 20\n5 x 5 = 25\n6 x 5 = 30\n7 x 5 = 35\n8 x 5 = 40\n9 x 5 = 45\n10 x 5 = 50\n\nTable of 10:\n1 x 10 = 10\n2 x 10 = 20\n3 x 10 = 30\n4 x 10 = 40\n5 x 10 = 50\n6 x 10 = 60\n7 x 10 = 70\n8 x 10 = 80\n9 x 10 = 90\n10 x 10 = 100
Key facts to remember
- 1Multiplication is also known as repeated addition.
- 2The symbol for multiplication is 'x'.
- 3The word 'times' or 'groups of' means multiplication.
- 4Any number multiplied by 1 gives the number itself. For example, 7 x 1 = 7.
- 5Any number multiplied by 0 gives 0. For example, 9 x 0 = 0.
- 6Learning multiplication tables helps us multiply quickly.
Worked examples
Example 1
Write 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 as a multiplication fact and find the answer.
Answer
5 x 4 = 20
Remember, 5 x 4 means 5 groups of 4.
Example 2
There are 3 flowers in each vase. If there are 4 such vases, how many flowers are there in total?
Answer
There are 12 flowers in total.
Drawing 4 vases with 3 flowers in each can help visualise the problem.
Example 3
A shopkeeper sells 10 pencils in one pack. If a customer buys 5 such packs, how many pencils did the customer buy?
Answer
The customer bought 50 pencils.
Multiplication by 10 is easy! Just put a zero after the number you are multiplying by 10.
Common mistakes
- ✗Confusing multiplication with addition, e.g., thinking 3 x 2 is 3 + 2.
- ✗Incorrectly identifying the number of groups or the number in each group in word problems.
- ✗Not memorising the multiplication tables, leading to slow calculations or errors.
- ✗Writing the repeated addition incorrectly, e.g., for 4 x 3, writing 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 instead of 3 + 3 + 3 + 3.
Exam tips
- ★Practise reciting and writing multiplication tables of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 daily.
- ★When solving word problems, read carefully to understand how many groups there are and how many items are in each group.
- ★You can draw simple pictures or use objects to help you understand multiplication problems.
- ★Always double-check your answers, especially for word problems, by thinking about the repeated addition.
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