What is a Product?
The answer to a multiplication question. In ab = c, c is the product.
A product is the result you get when you multiply two or more numbers together. It’s the answer to a multiplication problem.
For example, in the equation 4 × 3 = 12:
- 4 and 3 are the numbers being multiplied (called factors, consisting of the multiplicand and multiplier)
- 12 is the product
Products can come from multiplying:
- Whole numbers (e.g., 6 × 2 = 12)
- Fractions (e.g., × 4 = 2)
- Decimals (e.g., 0.5 × 10 = 5)
In real life, we use products to:
- Find total amounts (like total cost of 3 items at $5 each)
- Calculate area (length × width)
- Scale recipes or groups of items
Understanding what a product is helps students make sense of multiplication problems and recognize how multiplication builds from repeated addition.
When Do Students Learn About Products?
Students begin learning about the product as part of early multiplication lessons in elementary school, and they continue applying the concept in more advanced math through middle and high school.
Grades 2–3 – Introduction to Products
Students begin learning multiplication facts and identifying the product as the result of multiplying two numbers.
Grades 4–5 – Working with Larger Products
Students multiply multi-digit numbers and solve real-world word problems that involve finding a product.
Grades 6+ – Applying Products in Advanced Math
Students use products in algebra, geometry, fractions, decimals, and problem solving.
