How do you use a partial product to find products of a greater number?
To use a partial product method, you can break down a multiplication problem into smaller, manageable parts, and then sum up these partial products to find the product of the greater number. Here's a step-by-step explanation of the process:
Step 1: Decompose the numbers
Break down the greater number into its place values (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.). For example, if you want to multiply 235 by 4, you'd break down 235 as 200 + 30 + 5.
Step 2: Multiply each part separately
Multiply each part of the greater number by the smaller number. In this case, you would multiply:
- 200 x 4 = 800
- 30 x 4 = 120
- 5 x 4 = 20
Step 3: Write the partial products
Write down each partial product in a separate row, aligned according to their place value. It would look like this:
```
200
30
+ 5
------
```
Step 4: Add the partial products
Add up the partial products to find the final product. In this case, you would add:
```
200
30
+ 5
------
920
```
So, the product of 235 and 4 is 920, as obtained by using the partial product method.
Remember, the partial product method is effective when you are multiplying a greater number by a single-digit number. If you have multiple digits in both factors, you would use the traditional long multiplication method.