4 Times Table

What you will learn

• Say and write the answers in the $4$ times table up to $4 \times 12$.
• Use the patterns in the table to check your answers.
• Use the table to solve simple word problems.

Before you start: you should know multiplication as equal groups. See Multiplication: Equal Groups and Arrays.

The idea

The $4$ times table lists $4$ multiplied by $1, 2, 3$ and so on up to $12$. Each answer is the number of objects in that many groups of $4$.

The whole table

Patterns

• Double and double again: $4 \times 6$ is double $6 = 12$, then double $12 = 24$.
• The answers are $4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48$.
• The last digits go $4, 8, 2, 6, 0$ and then repeat.
• Every answer is even, and half of it is in the 2 times table.

Skip counting

Counting in steps of $4$ gives the answers one after another.

An array

An array shows the same facts as rows and columns.

Worked examples

Example 1: Double twice

What is $4 \times 7$?

1. Double $7$ is $14$.
2. Double $14$ is $28$.

Answer: $28$.

Example 2: Last digits

Is $34$ in the $4$ times table?

1. Count in fours: $28, 32, 36$.
2. The table jumps from $32$ to $36$ and skips $34$.

Answer: No. $34$ is not in the table.

Example 3: Legs

How many legs do $8$ dogs have?

1. A dog has $4$ legs.
2. $8 \times 4$ is double $8$, which is $16$, then double $16$, which is $32$.

Answer: $32$ legs.

If you forget a 4 times table fact, double the number twice. It is faster than counting in fours.

Why it matters

Fours show up in squares (four sides), in quarters and in the seasons of a year. Doubling twice also gives you a route to the 8 times table: double the 4s once more.