multiplication rods

Multiplication Rods

Download it here!	multiplication rods overview and screenshot
If you cannot see the project after the page is fully loaded, please download the new version of the free MicroWorlds Web Player (plug-in).

This project uses online "Cuisenaire rods" to illustrate multiplication problems.
Change each number by clicking on the blue triangles or on the number itself. Click on the Multiply! button. You will see the problem as a rectangular grid. You can count the number of squares to find the answer.
Click on the = sign if you wish to check the total.
You can compare the appearance of two problems, such as 6 x 8 and 8 x 6.
You can also compare two problems by dragging the beige square onto the top left corner of one rectangular grid before changing the numbers on the sliders. Then the second rectangle will be drawn on top of the first.
Click on the reset button to clear the grids from the page. Click "demo" to see several problems being written and illustrated.