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Material Detail

Napier's Bones: multiplying with numbered rods

Napier's Bones: multiplying with numbered rods

Interactive version of Napier's bones, the 17th-century calculating rods. Students arrange rods for the multiplicand (e.g. 467 × 8), read the multiplier's row and add the diagonals with carrying. It shows how place value is collected along diagonals. Three difficulty levels, a challenge round and a printable PDF worksheet. Free, no sign-up.

Keywords:
John Napier, multiplication methods, napier rods, napier's bones, history of mathematics, place value
Disciplines:
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More about this material

Material Type:
Tutorial
Date Added to MERLOT:
October 26, 2026
Date Modified in MERLOT:
October 26, 2026
Author:
 
Submitter:
Goofer Things
Primary Audience:
Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed
Technical Format:
PDF, Website
Mobile Compatibility:
Not specified at this time
Technical Requirements:
A modern web browser. Works on desktop, tablet and phone.
Language:
English
Cost Involved:
No
Source Code Available:
No
Creative Commons:
No

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