Becoming an expert math problem solver of the class is no easy task. You need to be really good at numbers & formulas and must be able to solve quicker & better than most.
Whether it’s a numerical question or a word problem, expert solvers employ some amazing shortcut techniques to solve any sum with quick precision.
This article offers a glimpse of five such tricks for your convenience.
Remember those websites that would fulfill your “solve my math word problem for free” requests almost instantly; well, the reason they could do that was some clever problem solving techniques on their part.
1. Multiplying Large Numbers
Multiplying big numbers is a tedious task. This method lets expert math word problem solvers with finding quick solutions.
Consider two numbers, 308 and 306
1. Now subtract the number at the unit place.
308-8=300 and 306-6=300
2. Now select any one of the numbers and add it’s unit digit of to the other number
308+6=314
3. Now multiply, 314×300 = 94200
4. Now just multiply the units digits of both the numbers, 8×6=48
5. Add the two resultant products, 94200+48 = 94248
6. The final product of the numbers 308 and 306 is 94248
2. Finding any square
Some websites offer math word problem solver widgets online for free and the underlying scripts follow the below technique to obtain squares
1. Choosing a base nearer the number whose square is to be found.
2. Finding the difference between the number and the base.
3. Adding the difference to the number.
4. Multiplying the sum with the base.
5. Adding the product of the square of the difference with the result above to obtain the square.
Say, if the number is 127. The nearer base is 100.
Now, the difference is 127-100=27
Let’s add this t the original number = 127+27=154
Multiplying with the base, 154*100=15400
Adding this product with the square of the difference gives us the answer,
15400 + (27)2= 16126= (127)2
3. Another multiplication shortcut
If you are multiplying by 9, multiply by 10 instead, and then subtract the other number.
For example, 23×9 = 230 - 23 = 207
The same applies to other numbers where simplification is possible.
4. Easy divisions
Remember the following to solve any division in a jiffy.
A number is
1. Divisible by two if the last digit is a multiple of 2
2. Divisible by three if the sum of all the digits is divisible by 3
3. Divisible by four if the last two digits are divisible by 4
4. Divisible by five if the last digit is 0 or 5
5. Divisible by six if it is divisible by both two and three
6. Divisible by 9 if the sum of all digits is divisible by 9
7. Divisible by 10 if the last digit is zero
8. Divisible by 12 if it’s divisible by three and four
Well, those were some cool tricks, isn’t it? Keep them in mind, keep on practicing and you will never have to go around requesting “help me solve my math problem”.