Properties of multiplication

Multiplication is commutative and associative, has identity 1, and anything times 0 is 0. Turning an array on its side does not change how many it holds.

a × b = b × aProperties of multiplication

📐 Formula

a × b = b × a; (a × b) × c = a × (b × c); a × 1 = a; a × 0 = 0

✏️ Worked example

3 rows of 5 and 5 rows of 3 both hold 15.

🌍 Where it is used

Rearranging products to calculate quickly: 4 × 7 × 25 = (4 × 25) × 7 = 700.

❓ Quick check

What is 999 × 0?

🏋️ Practice

Easy6 × 1 = ?

Answer: 6

MediumCompute smartly: 5 × 13 × 2

Answer: (5 × 2) × 13 = 130

ChallengeIs division commutative?

Answer: No: 8 ÷ 2 ≠ 2 ÷ 8