In the United States, we use standard units such as inches and feet to measure many things, but have you ever used the furlong or fathom?

A furlong was historically used in land measurement and farming. The name means “furrow length.” The “long furrow” was the greatest distance a team of oxen could plow before having to rest, which is how it became the length of one acre of land.

Welcome to Mathnasium’s Math Tricks! Here’s a trick to calculate percentages using the commutative property of multiplication. Let’s do this! 👍

To find 48% of 50 means to multiply 48 x x 50.

We can use the commutative property of multiplication and rearrange to 50 x x 48, which is the special percent calculation, 50% of 48.

Our children’s long-term success depends on their ability to compete and collaborate with people around the world. There is one language they will all need to use, and it’s not English: It’s math. Unfortunately, the difference between U.S. students’ math skills and those of their global peers is consistently alarming.