When simplifying a multiplication problem, what do you do with the decimal places?

When simplifying a multiplication problem that involves decimals, it is essential to determine the correct placement of the decimal in the final product. The correct approach is to count the total number of decimal places from all the numbers that are being multiplied. This count helps you to place the decimal point appropriately in the resultant product.

For instance, if you are multiplying 2.5 (which has one decimal place) by 0.4 (which has one decimal place), together they have a total of two decimal places. Therefore, in the final product, you would count two decimal places from the right when placing the decimal point.

Counting the decimal places ensures accuracy in the result. If you were to ignore the decimals or add them together, the final answer would not represent the actual multiplication performed, leading to incorrect results. Similarly, placing the decimal at the end of the product without considering the decimal places would also yield an incorrect answer. Hence, acknowledging the total number of decimal places involved is the correct method for ensuring accuracy in multiplication with decimals.