Calculating five times the number -6

To calculate five times the number -6, you use multiplication, specifically multiplying -6 by 5. Multiplication here means you are taking the value of -6 and combining it five times, which scales the number up proportionally. Think of it as adding -6 five separate times: -6 + -6 + -6 + -6 + -6. Performing the operation -6 * 5 accomplishes this in a single step. The expression -30 captures this calculation, so when you substitute any value for -6, evaluating -6 * 5 will give you five times that original number.