3 Mental Math Tricks That Make You Look Like a Genius

Stop reaching for your calculator. Your brain can do this.

We've all been there: splitting a restaurant bill, calculating a discount, or figuring out a tip. Everyone pulls out their phone.

But what if you could do it faster in your head?

Mental math isn't magic—it's a skill. And you're about to learn 3 tricks that work instantly.
1

The 1-Second Tip Calculator

Calculate a 15% tip instantly (no phone needed)

The Formula

10% + half of 10% = 15%

Example: $80 Bill

Step 1: Find 10% $8.00
Step 2: Find half (5%) $4.00
Step 3: Add them $8 + $4
15% Tip = $12

Try it: $60 bill → 10% = $6 → Half = $3 → Tip = $9 ✓

2

The Flip-It Percentage Trick

Turn hard percentages into easy ones

The Secret

a% of b = b% of a

They're mathematically identical. So flip to the easier one!

Example: What is 18% of 50?

❌ Hard way: 0.18 × 50 = ???

✓ Flip it: 50% of 18

50% of 18 = Half of 18 = 9

18% of 50 = 9

More examples:

• 4% of 75 → Flip: 75% of 4 = 3

• 25% of 88 → Flip: 88% of 25 = 22 - 3 = 22 (close enough!)

3

The Party Trick: Squaring Numbers Ending in 5

This looks like magic (but it's just math)

The Pattern

First digit × (First digit + 1), then add "25"

Example: 75² = ?

First digit: 7
Multiply by next number: 7 × 8 = 56
Add "25" at the end: 56 + "25"
75² = 5,625

Try these:

• 35² → 3 × 4 = 12 → 1,225

• 85² → 8 × 9 = 72 → 7,225

• 25² → 2 × 3 = 6 → 625

These Are Just the Beginning

You just learned 3 tricks. But there are dozens more—from Vedic Math to Russian multiplication techniques.

The question is: Where do you learn them? And how do you practice until they stick?

That's why we built Ithopu—your complete mental math training platform
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Structured Learning

From fundamentals to advanced Vedic techniques

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The Forge

Practice drills to make tricks second nature

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Track Progress

Level up from novice to expert across 11 levels

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Real-World Skills

Tips, percentages, discounts—math you'll actually use

What You'll Learn on Ithopu

Stop Using a Calculator. Become One.

Visit app.ithopu.com to start your mental math journey today!