2x2 Multiply

Technique: Multiply two 2-digit numbers

Method 1: Break & distribute

Split the smaller number into tens and ones, multiply each part, then add:

• 23 × 41 → 23×40 + 23×1 = 920 + 23 = 943
• 37 × 24 → 37×20 + 37×4 = 740 + 148 = 888
• 46 × 32 → 46×30 + 46×2 = 1380 + 92 = 1472

Method 2: Factoring shortcut

If one number has a nice factor, rearrange:

• 14 × 15 → 7 × 30 = 210
• 18 × 35 → 9 × 70 = 630

Method 3: Close-together numbers

If both numbers are close to a round number, use the base method:

• 48 × 52 → 50² − 2² = 2500 − 4 = 2496

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