Tommy made a cuboid by making 3 rows of 4 little cubes. He then made the same shape again on top of that, and then the same shape again on top of that.
How many little cubes did Tommy use to make his large cuboid?
Extra challenge: Could Tommy make a large cuboid with 30 little cubes? Describe or draw how it might look.
Multiplying Big Numbers the Short Way
There is a shorter way to multiply big numbers. Examine these: First multiply the units:
a) T U 1 4
×
2 8
4 × 2 units = 8
Put the 8 in the units column
Then multiply the tens: ×
T U 1 4 2
2 8 2 × 1 ten = 2 tens
Put the 2 in the tens column
×14 7 3 2 2
T U 1 6 3
4 8 3 × 1 ten = 3 tens
Plus our other 1 ten = 4 tens Put the 4 in the tens column