Multiplying and dividing by 1 and multiplying by 0
In a nutshell
When multiplying and dividing by one or multiplying by zero, there are special rules to follow.
Multiplying and dividing by 1
No matter what the number you want to multiply or divide by one is, the answer is always the same as the number that you started with.
Example 1
What is 739×1?
The answer is the number that you started with.
739
Note: You can think of this as 739 lots of one, or one lot of 739.
Example 2
What is 652÷1?
Again, the answer is the number that you started with.
652
Note: This is like saying share 652 into one part.
Multiplying by 0
Multiplying by zero is just as easy - no matter what number you multiply it by, the answer is always 0.
Example 3
What is 43×0?
The answer is always zero.
0
Note: Unlike with one, you CANNOT divide by zero. This is an important rule in Maths.