Skill: Recall multiplication facts for 0 and 1

Multiplication by $0$ and $1$ follows two easy rules:

• Any whole number multiplied by $0$ equals $0$:

$$0\times n=0 \qquad \text{and}\qquad n\times0=0.$$

• Any whole number multiplied by $1$ stays the same:

$$1\times n=n \qquad \text{and}\qquad n\times1=n.$$

Worked example

Find $0\times 8$ and $1\times 8$.

1. For $0\times 8$, think of zero groups of 8. There are no groups, so the answer is $0$:

$$0\times 8=0.$$

2. For $1\times 8$, think of one group of 8. That group has 8, so the answer stays 8:

$$1\times 8=8.$$

So, multiplying by $0$ gives $0$, and multiplying by $1$ keeps the other factor the same.