3 Times Table Practice: The Digits Pattern

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The 3 times table has a hidden pattern

The 3 times table is where the numbers start to feel less automatic. Here is something that helps you check yourself.

Patterns in the 3 times table

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30

• The ones digits use every digit once: 3, 6, 9, 2, 5, 8, 1, 4, 7, 0. Each one is three more than the last, going around from 9 back to 0, and by the tenth answer you have visited every digit from 0 to 9.
• The digits of each answer add up to 3, 6 or 9. Take 24: 2 + 4 = 6. Take 27: 2 + 7 = 9. Take 21: 2 + 1 = 3. If you get an answer in this table whose digits do not add up to one of those, something is off.

Build it from the 2s

3 × 7 is 2 × 7 plus one more 7: 14 + 7 = 21. If you have practiced the 2 times table, this gives you a second way to reach each answer, and a way to verify it.

Test yourself

After the video, check what stuck. Math Engine gives you ten questions on the 3 times table, a hint after each answer, and a review round for the ones you missed. It is free and needs no sign-up.

Practice the 3 times table

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Full playlist: Multiplication Tables 1 to 10