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Quick Math Tricks for Everyday Use

1. This document provides tips for quickly calculating percentages, determining if numbers are divisible by other numbers, estimating square roots, and estimating how long it will take money to double at a given interest rate using the Rule of 72. 2. It explains how to multiply numbers first and worry about decimals later to quickly calculate percentages. Rules for divisibility by numbers like 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 are also outlined. 3. Methods for estimating square roots by finding the nearest square and determining the next nearest square are described. 4. The Rule of 72 is introduced as a way to estimate how long it takes money to double at a given interest rate by dividing 72 by the

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Rudra Da
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77 views2 pages

Quick Math Tricks for Everyday Use

1. This document provides tips for quickly calculating percentages, determining if numbers are divisible by other numbers, estimating square roots, and estimating how long it will take money to double at a given interest rate using the Rule of 72. 2. It explains how to multiply numbers first and worry about decimals later to quickly calculate percentages. Rules for divisibility by numbers like 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 are also outlined. 3. Methods for estimating square roots by finding the nearest square and determining the next nearest square are described. 4. The Rule of 72 is introduced as a way to estimate how long it takes money to double at a given interest rate by dividing 72 by the

Uploaded by

Rudra Da
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

1.

Faster Percentage Calculation


Show off by being the one who doesn't bust out the smartphone to calculate the tip. The quickest
way to calculate percentages is to multiply numbers first and worry about the two decimal places
later. Remember that a "percent" means a fraction out of 100, which means move the decimal two
digits to the left.
20 percent of 70? 20 times 70 equals 1400, so the answer is 14.
Notice how 70 percent of 20 is also 14.
If you need to calculate the percentage of a number, such as 72 or 29, then round up and
down to the nearest multiple (70 and 30 respectively) to get a quick estimate.
Multiplying integers is always faster than multiplying decimals.

2. Easy Rules for Divisibility


If you need to be able to decide quickly if 408 slices of pie can be evenly split by 12 people, here
are some useful shortcuts. These rules works for all numbers without fractions and decimals.
Divisible by 2 if the number's last digit is divisible by 2 (e.g. 298).

Divisible by 3 if the sum of the digits of the number are divisible by 3 (501 is because 5 + 0
+ 1 equals 6, which is divisible by 3).

Divisible by 4 if the last two digits of the number are divisible by 4 (2,340 because 40 is a
multiple of 4).

Divisible by 5 if the last digit is 0 or 5 (1,505).

Divisible by 6 if the rules of divisibility for 2 and 3 work for that number (408).

Divisible by 9 if the sum of digits of the number are divisible by 9 (6,390 because 6 + 3 + 9
+ 0 equals 18, which is divisible by 9).

Divisible by 12 if the rules of divisibility for 3 and 4 work for that number (e.g. 408).

3. Faster Square Roots


Everybody knows that the square root of 4 is 2, but what about the square root of 85?
Give a quick estimate by:
1. Finding the nearest square. In this case, the square root of 81 is 9.

2. Determining the next nearest square. In this case, the square root of 100 is 10.
3. The square root of 85 is a value between 9 and 10. Since 85 is closer to 81, the actual value
must be 9 point something.

4. The Rule of 72
Want to know how long it will take for your money to double at a certain interest rate? Skip the
financial calculator and use the rule of 72 to estimate the effects of compound interest.
Just divide the number 72 by your target interest rate, and you get the approximate number
of years that it will take for your money to double.

If you were to invest in a 0.9% CD, it would take about 80 years for your money to double.

On the other hand, if you were to invest in a mutual fund with a 7% return, it would take your
original funds about 10.28 years to double.

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