Final answer:
To multiply 52 by 48 using mental math, one can observe that both numbers are near the base number 50, and apply a shortcut that involves squaring the distance to 50 (which is 2) and subtracting it from 2500, resulting in 2496.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the product using mental math for the numbers 52 and 48, you can use a technique that involves recognizing patterns in numbers. Both numbers are close to 50, which is a convenient base for mental calculation. You can apply the concept of base 50 multiplication here. When we multiply two numbers that are equidistant from 50, we take the square of the distance to 50 and subtract it from 2500. The distance of both 52 and 48 from 50 is 2. Squaring this distance gives us 22 = 4. Therefore, the mental math calculation is 2500 - 4 = 2496.