The full 10 times table, from 10×1 to 10×12
Here is the 10 times table in full. Read it both ways : 10×3 = 30, but also 30 = 3×10. It is the same operation, and it is what saves you time once you already know the earlier tables.
Three tricks that make the 10 times table easier
1. Add a zero
10×n = n followed by a zero. 10×7 = 70, 10×12 = 120. It is the simplest rule in all of mental math, a direct consequence of the decimal system.
2. The basis for the other tables
The 10 times table is used to work out the 5 (half of it) and the 9 (10×n − n). Mastering it opens the door to many calculation shortcuts.
3. It works with decimals too
Multiplying by 10 moves the decimal point one place to the right: 10×3.5 = 35. A rule that stays valid all the way through school, up to powers of 10.
How to memorise the 10 times table in two weeks
Learning a times table is not about being clever, it is about spaced repetition. The brain holds on to information long-term when it reviews it just before forgetting, not by repeating it fifty times in one evening.
- Count in 10s out loud up to 120.
- Practise adding a zero to random numbers.
- Extend the rule to decimals (moving the point).
Frequently asked questions about the 10 times table
How do you learn the 10 times table?
Just add a zero to the number: 10×7 = 70. It is the easiest table of all, a direct result of our decimal system. Most children master it in a day.
Why does adding a zero multiply by 10?
Because our number system is base 10. Multiplying by 10 shifts every digit one place to the left, which is the same as adding a zero on the right for whole numbers.
How do you multiply a decimal by 10?
You move the decimal point one place to the right: 10×3.7 = 37. The add-a-zero rule only works for whole numbers; with decimals the point moves.