Answer Key for Practice and Homework Lesson 4.6 Decimal Multiplication

To solve problems involving numbers with fractional parts, start by ignoring the decimal points and performing the multiplication as if you were working with whole numbers. After finding the product, count the total number of decimal places in both original factors. Place the decimal in the result so that it has the same total number of decimal places.

For example, when multiplying 2.3 by 0.04, first calculate 23 times 4, which equals 92. Since there are two decimal places in the original numbers, move the decimal in the product two places to the left, yielding a final result of 0.092.

Double-check your calculations by estimating the result. If your answer seems too large or too small compared to the factors, recheck your placement of the decimal point. Practicing this technique with different sets of numbers will help you quickly gain confidence in your accuracy.