Speed Math Simple methods for Shortcuts and Helpful insights doing math quickly in tricks for on-paper to improve your your head calculations understanding Gaurav Tekriwal No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize there’s no such thing— how could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you know better. You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one, and you’re okay with that.
You have no desire to know everything, just the next thing. You know what you don’t know, you’re confident enough to admit it, and you’re motivated to do something about it. At Idiot’s Guides, we, too, know what we don’t know, and we make it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work, asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most- accessible way possible.
After all, that’s our promise—to make whatever you want to learn “As Easy as It Gets.” That means giving you a well-organized design that seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic. It means controlling the pace you’re asked to absorb new information—not too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really explain the details.
And it means giving you fewer words and more illustrations wherever it’s better to show rather than tell. So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but you’ve been here before and so have we.
Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end of this book, you won’t be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little less complicated than it was before. And we’ll be sure your journey is as easy as it gets. Mike Sanders Publisher, Idiot’s Guides www.com Speed Math by Gaurav Tekriwal A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.com ALPHA BOOKS IDIOT’S GUIDES and Design are trade- marks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Although every precaution has cational use. Special books, or book excerpts, been taken in the preparation of this book, can also be created to fit specific needs. For the publisher and author assume no respon- details, write: Special Markets, Alpha Books, sibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Publisher: Mike Sanders Senior Production Editor/Proofreader: Executive Managing Editor: Billy Fields Janette Lynn Senior Acquisitions Editor: Tom Stevens Cover/Book Designer: William Thomas Development Editor: Kayla Dugger Indexer: Brad Herriman Layout: Brian Massey www.com Contents Part 1: High-Speed Operations.4 The 2 Times Table .5 The 3 Times Table .7 The 4 Times Table .8 The Universal Times Tables. 10 The 9 Times Table.
13 Special Multiplication by 11.15 Multiplication of Two-Digit Numbers with 11. 15 Multiplication of Larger Numbers with 11. 17 Below the Base Method. 25 Above the Base Method .30 Above and Below the Base Method .34 Above and Below Base 10 .34 Above and Below Base 100.
37 Multiples and Submultiples .43 General Multiplication Using the Vertically and Crosswise Method .46 Two-Digit by Two–Digit Multiplication .46 Three-Digit by Three-Digit Multiplication. 55 Left-to-Right Addition. 55 Two-Digit Numbers. 56 Three-Digit Numbers.
58 Rapid Left-to-Right Columnar Addition. 61 Addition with Numbers Near 10 or a Multiple of 10 .com iv Idiot’s Guides: Speed Math 3 Subtraction. 69 Left-to-Right Subtraction.70 Subtraction with Numbers Near 10 or a Multiple of 10 .73 Subtraction with the All from 9 and Last from 10 Method .76 Subtracting from a Power of 10. 76 Subtracting a Number Ending in Zero from a Power of 10.
78 Subtracting When Neither Number is a Power of 10 .80 Starting the Method Later in the Problem. 83 Ending the Method Earlier in the Problem. 89 Division with the Flag Method .89 Two-Digit Divisors .90 Three-Digit Divisors. 95 Four-Digit Divisors.
108 Type 1: Fractions with a Denominator Ending in 9 or a Series of 9s .108 Type 2: Fractions with a Denominator Ending in 1 or a Series of 1s .112 5 Checking Your Answers with Digit Sums .117 What Are Digit Sums? .117 Casting Out Nines.118 The Nine-Point Circle .119 Using Digit Sums to Check Your Answers. 120 Checking Addition Answers .120 Checking Subtraction Answers .122 Checking Multiplication Answers .124 Checking Division Answers .126 Part 2: High-Speed Math Applications .131 Fractions with the Same Denominator.132 Fractions Where One Denominator Is a Factor of the Other.132 Addition with the Vertically and Crosswise Method.com Contents v Subtracting Fractions. 134 Fractions with the Same Denominator.135 Fractions Where One Denominator Is a Factor of the Other.136 Subtraction with the Vertically and Crosswise Method. 143 The Decimal System and Place Value .143 Adding Decimal Numbers.
144 Subtracting Decimal Numbers. 146 Multiplying Decimal Numbers. 148 Multiplying by Powers of 10 .148 Multiplying Vertically and Crosswise .149 Dividing Decimal Numbers .152 Dividing by Powers of 10 .152 Dividing a Decimal Number by a Whole Number .153 Dividing a Decimal Number by Another Decimal Number .157 Converting Percentages into Fractions. 158 Converting Fractions into Percentages.
160 Converting Percentages into Decimals .161 Finding the Percentage of a Given Quantity .162 Two-Digit Numbers .162 Three-Digit Numbers .164 Expressing One Quantity as a Percentage of Another. 169 Percentage Increase or Decrease.181 The Osculation Method .com vi Idiot’s Guides: Speed Math 10 Squared Numbers .189 Finding Squares of Numbers Ending in 5. 190 Finding Squares of Numbers Near 50 .192 Using the Duplex to Find the Value of a Squared Number .194 Two-Digit Squares .194 Three-Digit Squares .197 Four-Digit Squares .201 Combined Operations: Sums of Squares .211 Finding the Cubes of Two-Digit Numbers .211 Calculating Cubes Near a Base.216 When the Number Is Above the Base .217 When the Number Is Below the Base .219 12 Numbers to the Fourth and Fifth Powers. 223 Calculating a Number to the Fourth Power.
223 Calculating a Number to the Fifth Power. 229 13 Square and Cube Roots.233 Square Roots of Perfect Squares .233 Using Duplexes to Find Square Roots. 236 Cube Roots of Perfect Cubes. 240 Appendixes A Practice Problems.
250 Chapter 5: Checking Your Answers with Digit Sums .255 Chapter 10: Squared Numbers .255 Chapter 11: Cubed Numbers. 256 Chapter 12: Numbers to the Fourth and Fifth Powers. 257 Chapter 13: Square and Cube Roots .com Contents vii B Answer Key. 261 Chapter 5: Checking Your Answers with Digit Sums.
263 Chapter 10: Squared Numbers .264 Chapter 11: Cubed Numbers .264 Chapter 12: Numbers to the Fourth and Fifth Powers.264 Chapter 13: Square and Cube Roots .com Introduction Can you multiply 98 × 97 in your head in less than five seconds? You may think doing such a problem in your head is a pipe dream, but it’s not. In fact, doing math without a calculator is critical. In places such as the United Kingdom, calculators are being banned from math tests. So if you can’t do the math in your head or on a piece of paper, you’re stuck.
This is where speed math comes in. By using the methods in this book, you’ll become more adept at solving problems, including the following: • Addition and subtraction • Multiplication and division • Fractions and decimals • Squares and square roots • Numbers to different powers And that doesn’t cover everything you’ll learn. In fact, by the end of this book, you’ll be amazed at how quick and easy it is to solve almost any problem. I hope you enjoy your journey into speed math.
How This Book Is Organized This book is divided into two parts. The chapters in each part don’t have to be read in order, so if you have a type of math that’s of particular interest to you, feel free to skip to it. Part 1, High-Speed Operations, provides easier ways of doing multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division. I lead off with multiplication, as it tends to have the most exciting tricks.
I end this part by showing you how to check your answers using digit sums.com x Idiot’s Guides: Speed Math Part 2, High-Speed Math Applications, tackles decimals, frac- tions, and percentages. I also discuss how to find the value of powers and roots. The appendixes include practice problems and answers to help you further grasp the concepts from each chapter. Extras Look for these handy sidebars throughout the book.
They have important information you need to guide you through doing speed math. QUICK TIP These sidebars give you shortcuts and advice on dif- ferent speed math methods. SPEED BUMP Whoa! Watch out for these sidebars, which tell you about potential pitfalls you may encounter while doing your calculations. But Wait! There’s More! Have you logged on to idiotsguides.com lately? If you haven’t, go there now!