multiply

Learn how to use the multiplication (*) operator in Notion formulas.

The multiply (*) operator allows you to multiply two numbers together and get their product.

number * number multiply(number, number) number.multiply(number)

The * operator follows the standard mathematical order of operations (PEMDAS). For more detail, see Operator Precedence.

You can also use the function version, multiply().

12 * 4 /* Output: 48 */ multiply(12, -4) /* Output: -48 */ -12.multiply(4) /* Output: -48 */

Since multiply is a binary operator, it can only work on two operands – the objects which are being operated on (if – the ternary operator – is the only operator that works on three operands).

If you need to work with more than two operands, the shorthand * is by far the easiest way to do it.

4 * 5 * 5 /* Output: 100 */ multiply(multiply(4, 5), 5) /* Output: 100 */ 4.multiply(5).multiply(5) /* Output: 100 */

Yes! Remember that the commutative property of multiplication states that the factors in a multiplication problem can be switched around without changing the final product.

The example database below shows the interest owned by three pirates who smartly invest some of their savings.

The Interest Earnings formula shows the total amount of interest that their investment generates over a number of years, given a specific interest rate.

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This example uses the simple interest formula \(Prt\), where:

  • \(P\) is the principal
  • \(r\) is the rate of interest converted to a decimal (e.g. 7% is converted to 0.07)
  • \(t\) is the number of period (in this case, years)

To get a final balance (principal + simple interest), you’d use the formula \(A = P(1+rt)\).

See that example at the Simple Interest Calculator database, or learn more with this Calculator Soup calculator.

prop("Investment") * prop("Interest Rate") * prop("Years")

Instead of using hard-coded numbers, I’ve called in each property using the prop() function.

About the Author

My name is Thomas Frank, and I'm a Notion-certified writer, YouTuber, and template creator. I've been using Notion since 2018 to organize my personal life and to run my business and YouTube channel. In addition to this formula reference, I've created a free Notion course for beginners and several productivity-focused Notion templates. If you'd like to connect, follow me on Twitter.

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Fill out the form below and I’ll answer as soon as I can! ~Thomas