Multiplication Facts by 5

Multiplication by 5: a quick method

Multiplying by 5 means finding 5 equal groups of a number. For basic facts, you can use patterns to answer quickly and check your work.

1) Use the pattern

The products of 5 always end in 0 or 5.

• If the number is even, the answer ends in 0.
• If the number is odd, the answer ends in 5.

Examples:

• 3 × 5 = 15
• 6 × 5 = 30
• 9 × 5 = 45

2) Count by fives

You can also count forward in steps of 5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and so on. This helps when you are unsure of a fact.

3) Check your answer

To check, think of the related repeated addition:

• 4 × 5 = 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20

Or use the pattern again: if the first number is even, the result should end in 0; if it is odd, it should end in 5.

4) Practice carefully

Read the problem, compute the product, then verify it using the ending pattern or counting by 5s. With practice, these facts become automatic.