How can you check the answer to a decimal multiplication problem
Divide.
To check the answer to a decimal multiplication problem, you can follow these steps:
1. Multiply the decimal numbers using the standard multiplication method, paying attention to the correct placement of the decimal point.
2. Once you have obtained the product, count the total number of decimal places in the original numbers being multiplied. This will determine the number of decimal places in the final answer.
3. Estimate the answer by rounding each decimal number to a reasonable number of decimal places. This will give you an approximate value to compare with the actual answer.
4. Now, subtract the estimated answer from the actual answer you obtained through multiplication.
5. If the difference is within an acceptable range, typically a small margin of error, your answer is likely correct. However, if the difference is significant, you may need to recheck your work and identify any errors.
Here's an example to illustrate the process:
Suppose you have the multiplication problem: 4.3 x 2.6
1. Multiply: 4.3 x 2.6 = 11.18
2. The original numbers have a total of two decimal places (1 in 4.3 and 1 in 2.6), so the answer should also have two decimal places.
3. Round each number to a reasonable amount of decimal places, for example, 4.3 to 1 decimal place becomes 4.3 and 2.6 to 1 decimal place becomes 2.6. Multiply the rounded numbers: 4.3 x 2.6 = 11.2 (estimated answer).
4. Subtract the estimated answer from the actual answer: 11.18 - 11.2 = -0.02
5. In this case, the difference is very small (-0.02), which indicates that our answer is likely correct.
By following these steps, you can check the answer to decimal multiplication problems and verify its accuracy.