What to look for
An array is a set of objects arranged in rows and columns. To write the matching multiplication, count how many objects are in one row and how many rows there are.
Step-by-step method
- Count the rows.
- Count the objects in each row or count the columns.
- Write the multiplication sentence as:
- rows × objects in each row
- or columns × objects in each column, if that is the way the array is shown.
- Find the product by multiplying the two numbers.
Example idea
If there are 3 rows with 4 objects in each row, the multiplication is 3 × 4 = 12.
Check your answer
You can check by:
- counting all the objects one by one,
- or using repeated addition, such as 4 + 4 + 4 = 12.
If your multiplication matches the total number of objects in the array, your answer is correct.