Let's learn how to multiply decimal numbers by following steps.
When we multiply a number by 1, we get the same number we started with. So 3 times 1 equals 3 (3 x 1 = 3). When multiplying by a decimal number, remember this:
If the decimal we multiply by is less than 1, the answer will be less than the number you are multiplying by.
2 x .6 = 1.2
In our example, the answer we get is 1.2. It is less than 2, which is the number we multiplied by.
If the decimal we multiply by is more than 1, the answer will be more than the number you are multiplying by. Let's look at this example:
2 x 1.32 = 2.64
Our answer, which is 2.64, is more than 2, which is the number we multiplied by.
Let's practice multiplying decimal numbers following these three steps:
First, we multiply. We don't have to line up the decimal points to multiply. Let's look at this example.
Second, we count the number of decimal places in the numbers we multiplied. How many places are there? We have five places.
Third, we put the same number of decimal places in the answer.
The answer to 2.567 times .13 is .33371.
When multiplying decimal numbers, there are times when we add zeros to our answers. For example, look at this new problem:
We learned from the second step earlier that we need to count the number of decimal places in the numbers we multiply. In our problem, we have three decimal places, but our answer only has two digits. We add one zero before placing a decimal point in our answer.
