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Original poster

To ask if you do long multiplication/division regularly?

223 replies

BoyTree · 10/12/2020 15:34

Please settle a debate for me!

Older son is doing long multiplication and it came up that it would have been more important to know the formal 'method' to complete the sum by hand/brain when calculators weren't so ubiquitous. He asked who would still be doing it by hand now and I was stumped!

I can't think of anyone who would routinely do long multiplication using the column method as part of their job, but felt sure I was probably overlooking some vital role. Does anyone here use it or know of a job where this skill would be vital?

OP posts:
Twizbe · 10/12/2020 15:37

I do it at least

Twizbe · 10/12/2020 15:38

Oops pressed send too soon.

I do it quite a lot really. Always seems to be something that needs to be worked out that way. Often can't be bothered to get my calculator out when I can do it in my head.

TremoloGreen · 10/12/2020 15:49

I do both all the time if I can't be bothered getting my phone/calculator app up Confused

mindutopia · 10/12/2020 15:50

Nope, I couldn’t do it in school and still can’t do it now. Teacher said I was so bad at maths that I’d probably never finish school. Hmm This was said to me when I was in about year 6.

I have a PhD now. Still can’t do long division though.

Tumbleton · 10/12/2020 15:51

DS (Year 12) told me that he used long division skills this week. Some algebra thing... possibly polynomials?

Macncheeseballs · 10/12/2020 15:52

I dont do it often but am glad I can if i wanted

Lougle · 10/12/2020 15:55

I would generally grab a bit of paper and do the division rather than use a calculator, tbh. But u enjoy maths.

nosswith · 10/12/2020 15:57

Yes I do, and not just when watching Countdown.

Anycrispsleft · 10/12/2020 15:57

I used to when I worked as a manufacturing pharma chemist in a lab (with a Sharpie on the glass protection screen of my fume cupboard) when I was too lazy to get all my PPE off to go and get a calculator!

MouseTheDog · 10/12/2020 15:58

All the time. To be fair I am a maths teacher 😁

TheSunIsStillShining · 10/12/2020 16:03

I do. Software development project manager. I usually have to do finances as well and tally up hours, plan the project ... And most i do on paper (I'm mid40s so not ancient yet) as it helps me think through.

Nanny0gg · 10/12/2020 16:07

I use them fairly regularly. But I'm old Grin

rosesinmygarden · 10/12/2020 16:10

Yes, but I teach year 6 Grin

sashh · 10/12/2020 16:10

It's one of the building blocks of maths. Wait until he tries to multiply a couple of matrices or a couple of equations.

Drug does for children are often prescribed by Kg, if you are in A and E you need to be able to work it out without a calculator.

D4rwin · 10/12/2020 16:12

My (rail related) engineer husband often works things out by long multiplication/ division (admittedly roughly so within tolerances type decisions). He is infuriatingly fast at maths. He also does all of the hours/ finances for the team he manages so he is always spotting errors without a calculator etc, or can spot WHY a spreadsheet is giving a wrong answer quite easily as he can tell how much something is out by and then hunt the entry down.

RunningFromInsanity · 10/12/2020 16:14

Never.
I can do it but I’ve never had reason to, or the very rare occasion I need to multiple long numbers I have my phone calculator.

BrieAndChilli · 10/12/2020 16:15

I’m admin/finance and often do when scribbling something
I also do when at home and writing lists/thinking about finances while watching tv etc

ClarenceBoddicker · 10/12/2020 16:17

You need to have some knowledge of how it actually works so that you can spot a big fuck up in using your calculator skills! If someone said what is 50 x 125 and the answer was 10 million I wouldn’t just say hey ho must be right as that was what the answer was

Mydarlingsleepthief · 10/12/2020 16:17

Never 😂

ClarenceBoddicker · 10/12/2020 16:19

I work with complicated spreadsheets all the time and my errors are normally spotted by just someone doing sense check calculation in their brain saying this can’t be right. Must be something wrong

TDogsInHats · 10/12/2020 16:26

I don't need to use mine for work, but I idly do long division in my head for fun. I also add up, do percentages and multiplication just to pass the time. I love arithmeticGrin

muddledmidget · 10/12/2020 16:26

I can do long multiplication fairly easily, and do, just to check my calculations while at work (can be useful to spot when you're a factor of 100 out) but rarely use long division. And to my primary maths teacher who told me I had to learn to do it because I wouldn't always have a calculator in my pocket while out and about, you were wrong, I always have a calculator in my pocket! But thank you for persevering with me (but I've never used trigonometry, so I really didn't need to learn that)

Brogues · 10/12/2020 16:37

I was taught how to do the short way and never knew there was a different way until the kids started learning it. So no, I never use it and just use my short way instead (carrying the tens, units or decimals over to the next column).

TeenPlusTwenties · 10/12/2020 16:42

I use it quite regularly when I can't be bothered to find a calculator.
I like to keep my hand in.

MustardMitt · 10/12/2020 16:43

I could do multiplication in my head, and could do a general division (say, 5000/200, nothing too complicated!) but I don’t. I have a phone so I use the calculator.

@Brogues I think long multiplication just means multiplying by tens or hundreds etc rather than by a single digit. I don’t think there’s another way than carrying the numbers over?