Count by 120 (Skip Counting by 120s)

Count by 120

Here we will show you how to count by 120, discuss counting by 120 patterns, and tell you why knowing how to count by 120 matters. To start off, note that Count by 120 means counting in 120s, or count by one hundred twenties, and it is also called skip counting by 120.

How to count by 120
Normally, we would count by 1 like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., but when we count by 120, we count 120, 240, 360, 480, and so on.

In other words, to count in intervals of 120 or skip counting by 120, we start with 120 and then add 120 to get the next number, and then continue adding 120 to the previous number to keep counting by 120, like this:

120
120 + 120 = 240
240 + 120 = 360
360 + 120 = 480
480 + 120 = 600
...

You can of course skip count by 120 forever, so it is impossible to make a list of all numbers, but below is a Count by 120 Chart of the first 100 numbers to get you started.

Looking at the chart above, you will see that the first column has the first ten numbers you get when you skip count by 120, the second column has the next ten numbers you get when you skip count by 120, and so forth.

Count by 120 Patterns
We organized the Skip Counting by 120s Chart above in 10 rows and 10 columns so you can easily identify patterns.

Skip counting always creates patterns. Figuring out these patterns may help you if want to count by 120, but don't have the Counting by 120s Chart above. Obviously, one pattern with counting by 120s is that the number increases by 120.

Furthermore, if you look at each row above, each number in the row has the same last digit (ones place). That means that every tenth number has the same last digit.

If you look down the columns, you will see that the last digit (ones place) repeats itself in blocks of 1 over and over. The pattern of the last digit when you count by 120 goes 0 and 0 and so on for as long as you count by 120.

Why Count by 120?
We think that understanding and learning about skip counting by 120 is important, because it teaches you how the arithmetic operations fit together. Below are some examples of what we mean.

When you count by one hundred twenty, you are also creating a list of multiples of 120 that you can use in math when you need the least common multiple. 120 times n equals the nth multiple or skip count of 120.

When you skip count by 120, you are also creating a list of numbers that 120 is divisible by. On top of that, skip counting by 120 is the same as making the 120 times table.

Skip Counting
Need to skip count by another number? Enter another number for us to skip count for you.

Count by 121
Here is the next number on our list that we used to skip count.