Multiplication statements

In your book, Maths Mela (Chapter 9), Gulabo has lily flowers in her garden. Each lily has 3 petals. How many petals are there on 12 lilies? That is 12 groups of 3, written 12 × 3.

Split the 12 lilies into 10 lilies and 2 lilies. 10 lilies have 10 × 3 = 30 petals. 2 lilies have 2 × 3 = 6 petals. So 12 lilies have 30 + 6 = 36 petals. 12 × 3 = 36.

12 × 3 = 36 is called a multiplication statement. 12 is the number of groups; it is called the multiplier. 3 is the group size; it is called the multiplicand. 36 is the answer; it is called the product.

Division goes the other way. Gulabo counts 80 hibiscus petals, and each hibiscus has 5 petals. How many flowers? That is 80 ÷ 5. 5 petals make 1 flower, 10 petals make 2 flowers, and 50 petals make 10 flowers. The other 30 petals make 6 more flowers. So 80 petals are 10 + 6 = 16 flowers: 80 ÷ 5 = 16.