The groundwork for multiplication was laid for students in Chapter 5 when they used objects, number lines, and arrays to multiply. See Using Arrays to Show Multiplication Concepts .
Students are now ready to use their understanding of multiplication to explore number patterns.
A multiplication table is an excellent tool for discovering patterns. Look at the multiplication table below. The numbers along the left side and the top are factors. The numbers inside are products. Use the multiplication table below to locate the product of 9 and 7.