Calculating five times the number -4

To calculate five times the number -4, you use multiplication, specifically multiplying -4 by 5. Multiplication here means you are taking the value of -4 and combining it five times, which scales the number up proportionally. Think of it as adding -4 five separate times: -4 + -4 + -4 + -4 + -4. Performing the operation -4 * 5 accomplishes this in a single step. The expression -20 captures this calculation, so when you substitute any value for -4, evaluating -4 * 5 will give you five times that original number.