Maths tricks · trick 22 of 25 · free

Last-digit detective — Maths trick for kids

Before you trust an answer, check its last digit. In 47 × 36 only 7 × 6 = 42 decides the last digit, so the answer must end in 2. If it ends in anything else, it is wrong — no need to work it all out!

The trick

Last digits only — “the last digit of the answer comes only from the last digits of the numbers”

  1. Multiply (or add) only the last digits of the two numbers.
  2. The last digit of that result is the last digit the answer must have.
  3. Different last digit → wrong for sure. Same last digit → it passes the check (work it out in full to be certain).

Use it for: Checking your homework and test answers, spotting wrong bills, and multiple-choice questions where only one option has the right last digit.

Worked example: Last-digit check: is 47 × 36 = 1698 right or wrong? Wrong

  1. Last digits: 7 × 6 = 42, so the answer must end in 2.
  2. 1698 ends in 8, not 2, so it is wrong.

Check: 47 × 36 = 1692, which ends in 2 ✓

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

Right: 0 · Tried: 0

🏁 Trick 22 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

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🖨️ Check Your Answers Worksheet

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