Dot problems with times
You learn to find the missing number in a multiplication with a dot.
How to work it out
- Look at the multiplication and the answer.
- Divide the answer by the number you already know.
- The answer to that division is the number on the dot.
4 × 7
A worked example
6 × · = 42
- Look at the answer: 42.
- Divide 42 by the number you know: 42 ÷ 6 = 7.
- Check with multiplication: 6 × 7 = 42.
- The number on the dot is 7.
More examples
· × 8 = 56
- Divide the answer by 8.
- Work it out: 56 ÷ 8 = 7.
- The number on the dot is 7.
9 × · = 63
- Divide the answer by 9.
- Work it out: 63 ÷ 9 = 7.
- The number on the dot is 7.
Try it yourself
· × 9 = 27
6 × · = 36
Watch out
You multiply the two numbers together: 6 × 42.
The answer is already 42, so the number on the dot must be smaller than 42. Divide 42 by 6.
Tips
- Think of the times table: which number times 6 makes 42?
Why it works
Multiplication and division are opposites. If you know that 6 times something is 42, you look for how many times 6 goes into 42. Divide the answer by the number you know, and you find the missing number straight away.