Multiplying a decimal number by a whole may seem intimidating, probably because it’s the first time you’ve seen a decimal amount show up in a multiplication problem. But don’t fret… That decimal sign is a lot less intimidating than it seems, and I’ll walk you through the steps below!
It’s a Lot Like Multiple-Digit Multiplication
You can treat multiplying a decimal by a whole number much like multiplying a couple of multiple digit numbers together. If you know how to do long multiplication, you already know the hard part (and if you don’t click that link!).
The first step is just to multiply the two numbers together, just ignoring the decimal value. That’s the hardest part of the work, honest.
Putting the Decimal in the Right Place
Once you have the product, the next step is figuring out where the decimal goes. To do this, just count the number of digits to the right of the decimal number you used to multiply, then count over the same number of digits from the right in the answer. The decimal goes there. That’s it! You’re done!
Ready for More Decimals?
If you followed this procedure for multiplying a whole with a decimal, then you’re more than ready for multiplying two decimal numbers together. The procedure is the same, there’s just some extra decimal counting going on.
