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Comparing with multiplication

Sal solves multiplication comparison problems.   Created by Sal Khan.

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Video transcript

The number 36 is three times as large as 12. Write this comparison as a multiplication equation. So they're saying that the number 36, we'll type 36, is equal to 3 times 12. And I will use this little star thing. Let's see, if I were to put an x there, would that have worked as well? No, they would have viewed that as 3x. So to get this little star thing, which is normally when you're typing on a computer how you show multiplication, to get that you have to press Shift and the number 8. And it also sometimes shows up on a numeric keypad. But by doing that, I was able to show multiplication. So this could be read as 36 is equal to 3 times 12, or 36 is 3 times as large as 12. Let's check our answer. Got it right. Let's do a couple more of these. We can compare the numbers 4 and 20 using addition by saying that 20 is 16 more than 4. Fair enough. That's right. We could also compare 4 and 20 using multiplication. Fill in the blank correctly to compare the numbers 4 and 20 using multiplication. So they're saying 20 is blank times as large as four. Well, we know that 4 times 5 is 20, or that 5 times 4 is 20. So 20 is 5 times as large as 4. If I do 4 five times, I'll get to 20. So let me check my answer. There you go. Let's do one more. The number 6 is three times as large as 2. Write this comparison as a multiplication equation. So once again, we could write that 6 is equal to 2, and then I press Shift and the number 8 to get that times symbol, that little asterisk snowflake-looking thing. 2 times 3. So I could write it like that, or I could write 2 times 3 is equal to 6. Either of those would be completely valid things to say. So here I'm saying 6 is-- well, actually, I'd like to say it this way. I'd like to say three times as large as 2. I think that's a little bit more fun. So this is exactly 6 is 3 times as large as 2. And we're done.