How it works
To label the parts of a multiplication problem, write a name on the line for each number. The problem is 23 × 14 = 322, written in a row for numbers 1 to 4 and stacked for 5 to 7.
Read the full guide
Word bank, in the order of the numbers
Factors, multiplication sign, equals sign, product, multiplicand, multiplier, partial products. Two names are plurals because each covers two numbers: number 1 is both numbers of the row, and number 7 is both rows between the lines.
Telling the look-alike names apart
Multiplicand and multiplier start with the same eight letters. The one ending in -and is the number being multiplied, and the one ending in -er is the number that multiplies it. The 23 and the 14 are drawn twice: in the row they share one name, and stacked each has its own. The × and the 322 are drawn twice too, with one ring each, in the row.
- When marking, also accept times sign on line 2 and equal sign on line 3.
- To go further, have the class write 23 × 4 and 23 × 10 beside the two rows of number 7.
Questions and answers
Can a multiplication problem have more than two factors?
Yes. In 2 × 3 × 5 = 30 the factors are 2, 3 and 5 and the product is 30. Every number being multiplied is a factor, however many there are.
What is the difference between a factor and a term?
Factors are multiplied and terms are added. In 23 × 14 the 23 and the 14 are factors. In 23 + 14 the same two numbers would be terms.
What other signs mean multiply?
A dot at mid height, as in 5 ⋅ 2, means the same as ×. So do parentheses with no sign between them, as in (5)(2), and in computer programs an asterisk, as in 5*2.
Why does the second partial product end in zero?
Because the 1 in 14 stands for one ten. The second row is 23 × 10 = 230, not 23 × 1, so its digits sit one place to the left and a 0 fills the ones place.