How does this multiplication wheel work?

[madoka]

Anyone know?

http://holykaw.alltop.com/untouched-century-old-chalkboards-provide-window-to-the-past

Making way for the new in one Oklahoma high school yielded a shocking glimpse of the old when workers found a hidden layer of chalkboards that hadn’t seen the light of day since 1917.

The state was only a decade old when the teachers and students of Emerson High School practiced their penmanship, worked on multiplication tables, and told the story of the pilgrims in their classrooms, surely never dreaming their work would survive for 100 years.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm pretty sure that's an impromptu demon summoning altar. Whoever did that must have been in a hurry as they normally use blood, but any material really works it's just that normally a sacrifice is made before the summon so the blood is the first available thing to write with.

 

[disappoint]

How difficult can the math they were doing be? They were unable to add 19 & 10 in their heads.

The multiplication wheel is simple, they are supposed to memorize the multiplication table and just write the answers of the products on the outside of the wheel. Like this:

 

[lxskllr]

So many patterns that make logical sense, but only work for one problem. I haven't been able to find a consistent rule. That's gonna keep me up tonight :^D

 

[disappoint]

So many patterns that make logical sense, but only work for one problem. I haven't been able to find a consistent rule. That's gonna keep me up tonight :^D

The multiplication wheel shown there is the problem. The students are supposed to solve it. They are supposed to multiply each number on the outside of the wheel by the numbers inside the wheel and write them on the outside of the wheel.

 

[lxskllr]

The multiplication wheel shown there is the problem. The students are supposed to solve it. They are supposed to multiply each number on the outside of the wheel by the numbers inside the wheel and write them on the outside of the wheel.

Are you sure? Why do some numbers repeat? I thought it was a computer with some kind of insane rules I couldn't grasp.

 

[disappoint]

Are you sure? Why do some numbers repeat? I thought it was a computer with some kind of insane rules I couldn't grasp.

Not really sure, just did a quick search for multiplication table and most of them are like the one I describe. You're right though it doesn't make sense to write the numbers around the perimeter more than once unless teach just wants to give them busy work. Maybe they are supposed to practice their numerical penmanship in addition to their math skills. This was 100 years ago right? Penmanship was big back then I hear.