Definition
Multiplication table
A multiplication table organises multiplication facts so factors lead to their products.
| × | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 |
| 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 |
What it means
Choose one factor from the top and one from the side. Follow the column and row until they meet; that cell is the product. The grid mirrors across its diagonal because 3 × 5 and 5 × 3 have the same product. A “times table” can also mean one row or sequence, such as the 5 times table.
Remember it
Two factors meet at one product.
Example
Find 4 × 6. Row 4 and column 6 meet at 24. The reflected cell, row 6 and column 4, also shows 24 because multiplication is commutative.
Watch for
A school timetable or bus timetable is a schedule, not a multiplication table.
Common mix-up
Do not join the headers as digits: row 3 and column 5 give 3 × 5 = 15, not 35.
Exact meaning
A multiplication table is an organised display of multiplication facts. In a grid, row and column headers are factors and their meeting cell shows the product; one times table can also mean the sequence for a selected factor.