section_path: Operations/Multiplication and division
section_name: Multiplication and division
paragraph_text: Multiplication and division
  
  Multiplication is an arithmetic operation in which two numbers, called the multiplier and the multiplicand, are combined into a single number called the product. The symbols of multiplication are × {\displaystyle \times }, ⋅ {\displaystyle \cdot }, and *. Examples are 2 × 3 = 6 {\displaystyle 2\times 3=6} and 0.3 ⋅ 5 = 1.5 {\displaystyle 0.3\cdot 5=1.5}. If the multiplicand is a natural number then multiplication is the same as repeated addition, as in 2 × 3 = 2 + 2 + 2 {\displaystyle 2\times 3=2+2+2}.
  
  Division is the inverse of multiplication. In it, one number, known as the dividend, is split into several equal parts by another number, known as the divisor. The result of this operation is called the quotient. The symbols of division are ÷ {\displaystyle \div } and / {\displaystyle /}. Examples are 48 ÷ 8 = 6 {\displaystyle 48\div 8=6} and 29.4 / 1.4 = 21 {\displaystyle 29.4/1.4=21}. Division is often treated as a special case of multiplication: instead of dividing by a number, it is also possible to multiply by its reciprocal. The reciprocal of a number is 1 divided by that number. For instance, 48 ÷ 8 = 48 × 1 8 {\displaystyle 48\div 8=48\times {\tfrac {1}{8}}}.
  
  The multiplicative identity element is 1 and the multiplicative inverse of a number is the reciprocal of that number. For example, 13 × 1 = 13 {\displaystyle 13\times 1=13} and 13 × 1 13 = 1 {\displaystyle 13\times {\tfrac {1}{13}}=1}. Multiplication is both commutative and associative.