Finding the square of a number is a common task in many competitive exams, mental math challenges, or everyday calculations. Doing it quickly and accurately can save valuable time. In this article, we’ll explore easy tricks to find the square of two-digit and three-digit numbers within seconds, along with examples and explanations. With regular practice, these mental math methods can become second nature.
This method works best when the number is close to a base like 10, 50, or 100.
Example 1: Square of 4848 is close to 50. Let’s write it as (50 - 2)
(50 - 2)2 = 502 - 2 × 50 × 2 + 22
= 2500 - 200 + 4 = 2304
This is useful for two-digit numbers where a is the tens digit and b is the units digit.
Example 2: Square of 23
In this case, a = 2 and b = 3
232 = 22 × 100 + 2 × 2 × 3 × 10 + 32
= 400 + 120 + 9 = 529
Any number ending in 5 can be squared using:
(n5)2 = n × (n+1) × 100 + 25
n = 8
852 = 8 × 9 × 100 + 25 = 7225
103 is near 100, so:
(100 + 3)2 = 1002 + 2 × 100 × 3 + 32
= 10000 + 600 + 9 = 10609
If you're a visual learner, be sure to check out the video tutorial where these tricks are explained step by step with animations and voice guidance.
By applying these mental math tricks, you can square two- or three-digit numbers in just seconds — without a calculator! Whether you’re preparing for exams or sharpening your brain, regular practice with these methods will boost your speed and accuracy.