Multiplying Decimals
When you need to multiply a decimal number, follow these steps:
- Multiply as if the numbers were whole numbers. (Don't worry about the decimals yet!)
- As you compute the problem, place the last digit of each additional product to the left of the previous product's last digit.
- Then add the products together.
- In order to place the decimal point in the correct spot, count the number of digits to the right of each decimal in the problem.
A total of four digits are to the right of each decimal. - Count an equal number of digits in the answer starting from the right and place the decimal point there.
- If there are fewer digits in the answer than the total number of decimal places needed, you must add zeros to the left of the answer digits.