Lesson · M.1.2

Multiplying whole numbers

How to multiply multi-digit whole numbers by hand for the HESI A2 math subtest, with placeholder zeros explained through clinic supply and dosage examples.

ObjectiveM.1.2Read4 minExam weightWhole Numbers ≈ 20% of Mathematics

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What you will be able to do

  • Multiply a multi-digit number by a single digit, carrying correctly.
  • Multiply two multi-digit numbers using partial products and placeholder zeros.
  • Set up and solve a word problem that hides a multiplication behind everyday phrasing.

What the lesson concludes

  • Multiplication is repeated addition, and the answer is called the product.
  • Work one digit of the bottom number at a time, then add the partial products.
  • Each new partial product shifts one place to the left, marked by a placeholder zero.
  • Skipping a placeholder zero is the single most common cause of a wrong answer.
  • Word problems that use 'each', 'per', or 'every' are almost always multiplication in disguise.