What is 5 × 12?

S1-SA1-0695

Grade Level:

Class 3

Maths, Computing, AI

Definition

What is it?

5 × 12 means you are adding the number 12, five times. It is a way to quickly find the total when you have 5 groups of 12 items. This is a basic multiplication problem.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have 5 friends, and each friend brings 12 laddoos for a party. To find the total number of laddoos, you would calculate 5 × 12. This tells you how many laddoos there are in all.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's calculate 5 × 12.

Step 1: Understand what 5 × 12 means. It means 12 + 12 + 12 + 12 + 12.
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Step 2: Start adding the numbers. First, 12 + 12 = 24.
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Step 3: Add the next 12. 24 + 12 = 36.
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Step 4: Add another 12. 36 + 12 = 48.
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Step 5: Add the final 12. 48 + 12 = 60.
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Alternatively, you can multiply using columns:
12
x 5
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Step 1: Multiply the ones digit: 5 × 2 = 10. Write down 0 and carry over 1.
1
12
x 5
-----
0
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Step 2: Multiply the tens digit: 5 × 1 = 5. Add the carried over 1: 5 + 1 = 6. Write down 6.
1
12
x 5
-----
60
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Answer: 5 × 12 = 60.

Why It Matters

Understanding multiplication helps you solve problems faster in daily life and is super important for higher maths. In computing, calculations like this are fundamental for writing programs and creating algorithms. Even AI uses multiplication for complex tasks like image recognition and data processing, helping build smart apps and robots.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Adding 5 and 12 to get 17. | CORRECTION: Multiplication is not addition. You need to add 12 five times, or 5 twelve times, not just add the two numbers together.

MISTAKE: Forgetting to carry over digits when multiplying. For example, in 5 × 12, writing 502 instead of 60. | CORRECTION: Always remember to carry over any tens when multiplying digits, just like in addition.

MISTAKE: Mixing up the order, thinking 5 × 12 is different from 12 × 5. | CORRECTION: Multiplication is commutative, meaning the order of the numbers does not change the product. 5 × 12 is the same as 12 × 5.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: A auto-rickshaw driver charges 5 rupees for every kilometer. How much will it cost to travel 12 kilometers? | ANSWER: 60 rupees

QUESTION: If you have 12 boxes, and each box contains 5 pencils, how many pencils do you have in total? | ANSWER: 60 pencils

QUESTION: A baker makes 5 batches of cookies every day. If each batch has 12 cookies, and he bakes for 3 days, how many cookies does he make in total? (First find cookies per day, then total) | ANSWER: 180 cookies (5 × 12 = 60 cookies per day; 60 × 3 = 180 cookies in 3 days)

MCQ

Quick Quiz

What is the product of 5 and 12?

The Correct Answer Is:

The product of 5 and 12 means 5 multiplied by 12. 5 × 12 = 60. Options A, B, and D are incorrect calculations.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you buy 5 packets of biscuits, and each packet costs 12 rupees, you quickly use multiplication (5 × 12) to figure out the total bill of 60 rupees. Shopkeepers and customers use this skill daily, even when using digital payment apps like PhonePe or Google Pay, which do the calculation for you based on your inputs.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

MULTIPLICATION: A mathematical operation where a number is added to itself a certain number of times. | PRODUCT: The result of multiplying two or more numbers. | FACTOR: A number that is multiplied by another number to get a product. (Here, 5 and 12 are factors). | COMMUTATIVE PROPERTY: A property of multiplication that says changing the order of factors does not change the product.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you've mastered 5 × 12, try learning other multiplication tables, like 6 × 12 or 5 × 13. This will help you multiply larger numbers more easily and build a strong foundation for division and fractions!