Calculating five times the number -12

To calculate five times the number -12, you use multiplication, specifically multiplying -12 by 5. Multiplication here means you are taking the value of -12 and combining it five times, which scales the number up proportionally. Think of it as adding -12 five separate times: -12 + -12 + -12 + -12 + -12. Performing the operation -12 * 5 accomplishes this in a single step. The expression -60 captures this calculation, so when you substitute any value for -12, evaluating -12 * 5 will give you five times that original number.