(Example 1)
We looked at arrays to help us understand multiplication as rows and columns of numbers of objects. Example 1 shows 2 columns of 5 or 5 rows of 2. We know that this means 2 lots of 5 or 5 lots of 2. It also shows repeated addition of 2+2+2+2+2=10 or 5+5=10. It shows the multiplication 2×5=10 and 5×2=10.
‘Lots of’ also means ‘groups of’ and times (x). It doesn’t matter which way you multiply numbers the answer will be the same (It is commutative).