What is the product of 3,172 and 5?

The correct answer and explanation is:

The product of 3,172 and 5 is:

3,172 × 5 = 15,860


Explanation (300 words):

Multiplication is one of the basic arithmetic operations used to find the total of one number taken a certain number of times. In this case, you want to multiply 3,172 by 5, which means you are adding 3,172 five times.

To understand this multiplication better, let’s look at the step-by-step process:

  1. Set up the multiplication: 3172 × 5 _______
  2. Multiply each digit of 3,172 by 5, starting from the right:
    • Multiply the units digit (2) by 5:
      2 × 5 = 10. Write down 0 and carry over 1.
    • Multiply the tens digit (7) by 5, then add the carry over:
      7 × 5 = 35, plus 1 = 36. Write down 6 and carry over 3.
    • Multiply the hundreds digit (1) by 5, then add the carry over:
      1 × 5 = 5, plus 3 = 8. Write down 8 (no carry over).
    • Multiply the thousands digit (3) by 5:
      3 × 5 = 15. Write down 15.
  3. Combine all the digits written down:
    From left to right: 15 (thousands and ten-thousands place), 8 (hundreds place), 6 (tens place), 0 (units place) So, the result is 15,860.

Real-world application:

Multiplying by 5 is common in scenarios like calculating total costs, quantities, or measurements when you have five groups of something. For example, if one book costs 3,172 units of currency, then buying 5 such books would cost 15,860 units.


Alternative quick method:

Since multiplying by 5 is the same as multiplying by 10 and then dividing by 2, you could do:

  • Multiply 3,172 by 10 → 31,720
  • Then divide 31,720 by 2 → 15,860

This confirms the same result more quickly.


Therefore, the product of 3,172 and 5 is 15,860.

By admin

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