Method

Multiplying Decimals

Multiplying decimals has the same procedure as multiplying integers. The only difference is where the decimal point is placed in the product. The procedure will be demonstrated with an example. 1.69 * 3.7 The following steps can be followed to multiply decimals.

Multiply Ignoring the Decimal Point

Ignore the decimal points for now and multiply the numbers as if multiplying integers.

Count the Number of Decimal Places in the Factors

After the numbers are multiplied, count the total number of decimal places in each factor.

The sum of the decimal places is 3.

Locate the Decimal Point in the Product

The number of decimal places in the product is the sum of the decimal places in the factors. In the previous step, it was found that there were 3 decimal places in the example factors. This means that the product will have 3 decimal places as well.

The product of 1.69 and 3.7 is 6.253.

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