Multiplication array matching activity (free printable) - Math ... - Free Printable

To solve this matching task, we need to connect each group of stars (the array) with the correct multiplication sentence.

How it works:
A multiplication array is a grid of objects arranged in rows and columns.
- The first number in the multiplication sentence usually tells you how many rows (horizontal lines) there are.
- The second number tells you how many columns (vertical lines) or items are in each row.
- Alternatively, you can just count the total number of stars and see which multiplication problem equals that total.

Let's go through each card visible in the image and find its match.

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Step 1: Analyze Each Array Card

We will look at each picture of stars, count the rows and columns (or total stars), and find the matching math problem.

#### Card A: Green Stars (Top Left on instruction sheet)
- Visual: 2 rows of 2 stars.
- Count: $2 \times 2 = 4$ stars.
- Match: Look for the card that says $2 \times 2$.

#### Card B: Blue Stars (Bottom Left on instruction sheet)
- Visual: 1 long row of 10 stars.
- Count: $1 \times 10 = 10$ stars.
- Match: Look for the card that says $1 \times 10$.

#### Card C: Yellow Stars (Top Middle Sheet)
- Visual: 2 rows of 6 stars? Wait, let’s count carefully.
- Row 1: 6 stars
- Row 2: 6 stars
- Total: 12 stars.
- This looks like $2 \times 6$ or $6 \times 2$. But looking at the options nearby...
- Actually, let’s re-examine the yellow stars. It shows 2 rows with 6 stars in each row. So $2 \times 6 = 12$.
- Is there a $2 \times 6$ card? Looking at the middle sheet, next to the yellow stars is a card saying $2 \times 2$? No, wait. Let’s look closer at the layout.

Actually, the sheets are already partially matched or designed as pairs. Let’s look at the full set of problems shown across all sheets and match them properly based on standard array rules.

Let’s list all the multiplication sentences visible:
1. $2 \times 8$
2. $5 \times 3$
3. $4 \times 2$
4. $3 \times 5$
5. $2 \times 2$
6. $5 \times 9$
7. $4 \times 6$
8. $1 \times 10$

Now let’s identify each star array and calculate its value:

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#### Array 1: Purple Stars (Top Right Sheet)
- Rows: 2
- Columns: 8
- Total: $2 \times 8 = 16$
- ✔ Matches: $2 \times 8$

#### Array 2: Green Stars (Below Purple, Top Right Sheet)
- Rows: 5
- Columns: 3
- Total: $5 \times 3 = 15$
- ✔ Matches: $5 \times 3$

#### Array 3: Pink/Magenta Stars (Below Green, Top Right Sheet)
- Rows: 4
- Columns: 2
- Total: $4 \times 2 = 8$
- ✔ Matches: $4 \times 2$

#### Array 4: Light Red/Pink Stars (Bottom Right Sheet)
- Rows: 3
- Columns: 5
- Total: $3 \times 5 = 15$
- ✔ Matches: $3 \times 5$

> Note: Both $5 \times 3$ and $3 \times 5$ equal 15, but arrays show orientation.
> - $5 \times 3$: 5 rows, 3 columns → tall and narrow? Or wide? Usually first number is rows.
> - Green stars: 5 rows down, 3 across → matches $5 \times 3$
> - Light red stars: 3 rows down, 5 across → matches $3 \times 5$

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#### Array 5: Yellow Stars (Middle Sheet, Top)
- Rows: 2
- Columns: 6? Let’s count again.
- First row: 6 stars
- Second row: 6 stars
- That would be $2 \times 6$, but that option isn’t listed nearby. Wait — maybe I miscounted.
- Looking again: It’s 2 rows of 6 stars? But the card next to it says $2 \times 2$? That doesn’t match.

Wait — perhaps the cards are not pre-matched correctly in the photo? The user wants us to *solve* the match-up.

Let me re-analyze the middle sheet:

It has four sections:

1. Yellow Stars: 2 rows × 6 columns = 12 stars → Should match $2 \times 6$ or $6 \times 2$
- But none of the visible number cards say $2 \times 6$. Hmm.

Wait — looking back at the original image description, perhaps I missed something.

Actually, let’s look at the middle sheet more carefully:

The middle sheet contains:

- Top left: Yellow stars — 2 rows, 6 columns → 12 stars
- Top right: Number card “$2 \times 2$” → 4 stars → ✘ Not a match
- Middle left: Red stars — 5 rows, 2 columns? Let’s count:
- Vertical column of 5 red stars? Actually, it looks like 5 rows of 2 stars each → 10 stars
- So $5 \times 2 = 10$
- Middle right: “$5 \times 9$” → 45 stars → ✘ Not a match
- Bottom left: Blue stars — 4 rows of 6 stars? Let’s count:
- 4 rows, each with 6 stars → 24 stars → $4 \times 6 = 24$
- Bottom right: “$4 \times 6$” → ✔ Match!
- Very bottom: Orange stars — 1 row of 10 stars → 10 stars → $1 \times 10 = 10$
- Next to it: “$1 \times 10$” → ✔ Match!

So on the middle sheet:
- Blue stars ($4 \times 6$) matches “$4 \times 6$”
- Orange stars ($1 \times 10$) matches “$1 \times 10$”
- Yellow stars: 2 rows × 6 stars = 12 → should match $2 \times 6$, but no such card is visible here.
- Red stars: 5 rows × 2 stars = 10 → should match $5 \times 2$, but card says $5 \times 9$ → mismatch.

This suggests that the sheets are printed with mismatches intentionally for the student to cut out and rematch.

So our job is to take ALL the star arrays and match them to ANY of the number cards shown across all sheets.

Let’s collect ALL star arrays from all images:

From Instruction Sheet (left):
- Green stars: 2x2 = 4 → matches “$2 \times 2$”
- Blue stars: 1x10 = 10 → matches “$1 \times 10$”

From Middle Sheet:
- Yellow stars: 2 rows × 6 cols = 12 → needs “$2 \times 6$” or “$6 \times 2$” — but neither is visible? Wait — maybe I miscounted yellow stars.

Let me recount yellow stars:
Looking closely: It’s 2 rows, and each row has 6 stars? Yes.
But perhaps it’s 3 rows of 4? No, clearly 2 rows.

Wait — maybe the yellow stars are actually 2 rows of 2? No, too many.

Hold on — perhaps the “yellow stars” block is actually meant to be matched with a different card. Let’s list all available number cards from all sheets:

Number Cards Visible:
1. $2 \times 8$ → 16
2. $5 \times 3$ → 15
3. $4 \times 2$ → 8
4. $3 \times 5$ → 15
5. $2 \times 2$ → 4
6. $5 \times 9$ → 45
7. $4 \times 6$ → 24
8. $1 \times 10$ → 10

Star Arrays Visible:
A. Green (instruction sheet): 2x2 = 4 → matches #5
B. Blue (instruction sheet): 1x10 = 10 → matches #8
C. Purple (top right): 2x8 = 16 → matches #1
D. Green (below purple): 5x3 = 15 → matches #2
E. Magenta (below green): 4x2 = 8 → matches #3
F. Light red (bottom right): 3x5 = 15 → matches #4
G. Yellow (middle top): 2x6 = 12 → NO MATCHING CARD VISIBLE? Problem.
H. Red (middle middle): 5x2 = 10 → could match #8, but #8 is already used by blue 1x10. Also, 5x2 is same as 2x5, but no 2x5 card.
I. Blue (middle bottom): 4x6 = 24 → matches #7
J. Orange (very bottom): 1x10 = 10 → also matches #8

Conflict: We have two arrays that equal 10:
- Blue single row of 10 (1x10)
- Orange single row of 10 (also 1x10) — wait, are they both 1x10?

Looking again:
- Instruction sheet blue stars: definitely 1 row of 10 → 1x10
- Middle sheet orange stars: also 1 row of 10 → 1x10

And number card “$1 \times 10$” appears only once? In the middle sheet.

Also, red stars in middle sheet: 5 rows of 2 → 5x2=10

So three arrays equal 10:
- 1x10 (blue, instruction)
- 1x10 (orange, middle)
- 5x2 (red, middle)

But only one “$1 \times 10$” card and no “$5 \times 2$” card.

This suggests either:
1. Some cards are missing from view, or
2. I am miscounting.

Let me double-check the red stars in the middle sheet.

Red stars: arranged vertically? Let’s see — it’s 5 rows, each with 2 stars side by side. So yes, 5x2.

But 5x2 is not among the number cards. The closest is 5x9 or 2x2.

Perhaps the red stars are actually 5 rows of 9? No, visually it’s 2 per row.

Wait — maybe the “red stars” in the middle sheet are meant to be matched with “$5 \times 9$”? That would require 45 stars. Visually, it’s only 10 stars. So no.

Another possibility: The yellow stars are not 2x6. Let me count again very carefully.

Yellow stars:
Row 1: ★★★★★★ → 6
Row 2: ★★★★★★ → 6
Total 12.

No 12-card.

Unless... is there a card hidden? Or perhaps the task is only to match the ones that have clear pairs?

Looking at the right-hand sheet, all four arrays have their matching number card right next to them:
- Purple 2x8 ↔ 2x8
- Green 5x3 ↔ 5x3
- Magenta 4x2 ↔ 4x2
- Light red 3x5 ↔ 3x5

On the middle sheet:
- Blue 4x6 ↔ 4x6 (correct)
- Orange 1x10 ↔ 1x10 (correct)
- Yellow 2x6 ↔ ? (no match)
- Red 5x2 ↔ ? (no match)

On the instruction sheet:
- Green 2x2 ↔ ? (card is on middle sheet)
- Blue 1x10 ↔ ? (card is on middle sheet)

Ah! Perhaps the intention is that you cut out ALL cards and rematch globally.

So let’s do global matching:

Available Number Cards (from all sheets):
1. $2 \times 8$ = 16
2. $5 \times 3$ = 15
3. $4 \times 2$ = 8
4. $3 \times 5$ = 15
5. $2 \times 2$ = 4
6. $5 \times 9$ = 45 ← this is suspicious; no array has 45 stars
7. $4 \times 6$ = 24
8. $1 \times 10$ = 10

Star Arrays:
A. Green (instr): 2x2 = 4 → matches #5
B. Blue (instr): 1x10 = 10 → matches #8
C. Purple: 2x8 = 16 → matches #1
D. Green (right): 5x3 = 15 → matches #2
E. Magenta: 4x2 = 8 → matches #3
F. Light red: 3x5 = 15 → matches #4
G. Yellow: 2x6 = 12 → no match
H. Red (middle): 5x2 = 10 → could match #8, but #8 is taken
I. Blue (middle): 4x6 = 24 → matches #7
J. Orange: 1x10 = 10 → also wants #8

Problem: Three arrays want "10": B, H, J
Only one "1x10" card.

And array G (yellow, 12) and card #6 (5x9=45) have no partners.

This implies that either:
- The "5x9" card is a distractor or error, and should be "2x6" or "6x2"
- The red stars are not 5x2 but something else.

Let me look at the red stars again. In the middle sheet, second row left: it's 5 rows of 2 stars. But what if it's 2 rows of 5? Still 10.

What if the yellow stars are 3 rows of 4? Let's assume that for a moment. 3x4=12, still no 12-card.

Another idea: Perhaps the "5x9" is a typo in my reading. Let me check the image description again.

User said: "middle sheet has ... 5x9"

But visually, if we assume the task is well-designed, every array should have a match.

Let’s consider that the red stars might be 5 rows of 9? That would be 45 stars. Visually, in the image, it's clearly not 45; it's about 10 stars.

Perhaps the yellow stars are 2x2? No.

Wait — let's count the yellow stars once more. Maybe it's 2 rows of 2? No, there are six in each row.

I think there might be an error in the worksheet design, or some cards are not fully visible. However, for the purpose of this task, we can match the ones that clearly pair up.

Clear Matches:

1. Green stars (instruction sheet): 2 rows × 2 columns = 4 → matches $2 \times 2$
2. Blue stars (instruction sheet): 1 row × 10 columns = 10 → matches $1 \times 10$
3. Purple stars: 2 rows × 8 columns = 16 → matches $2 \times 8$
4. Green stars (right sheet): 5 rows × 3 columns = 15 → matches $5 \times 3$
5. Magenta stars: 4 rows × 2 columns = 8 → matches $4 \times 2$
6. Light red stars: 3 rows × 5 columns = 15 → matches $3 \times 5$
7. Blue stars (middle sheet): 4 rows × 6 columns = 24 → matches $4 \times 6$
8. Orange stars: 1 row × 10 columns = 10 → also matches $1 \times 10$, but since there's only one card, perhaps it's shared or there's another card.

For the remaining:
- Yellow stars: 2x6=12 — no matching card visible. If we had a $2 \times 6$ or $6 \times 2$ card, it would match.
- Red stars (middle): 5x2=10 — same issue.
- Card $5 \times 9$: 45 — no array matches.

Given that, the most reasonable approach is to provide the matches for the arrays that have clear counterparts.

Since the user likely expects the correct pairing for each visible array, and assuming that the "5x9" might be a mistake or for a different array not shown, we'll proceed with the accurate matches.

But to give a complete answer, let's list each array and its correct multiplication sentence based on counting, even if the card isn't perfectly aligned in the photo.

Final Matching List:

- Array with 2 rows of 2 stars (green, instruction) → $2 \times 2$
- Array with 1 row of 10 stars (blue, instruction) → $1 \times 10$
- Array with 2 rows of 8 stars (purple) → $2 \times 8$
- Array with 5 rows of 3 stars (green, right) → $5 \times 3$
- Array with 4 rows of 2 stars (magenta) → $4 \times 2$
- Array with 3 rows of 5 stars (light red) → $3 \times 5$
- Array with 4 rows of 6 stars (blue, middle) → $4 \times 6$
- Array with 1 row of 10 stars (orange, middle) → $1 \times 10$ (same as above)
- Array with 2 rows of 6 stars (yellow, middle) → $2 \times 6$ (card not visible, but this is the correct math)
- Array with 5 rows of 2 stars (red, middle) → $5 \times 2$ (card not visible)

Since the task is to "match", and some cards may be missing or misplaced in the photo, the best we can do is state the correct multiplication for each array.

However, looking back, perhaps the "5x9" is meant for a different array. Let's imagine there's an array of 5 rows of 9 stars — that would be 45 stars. Not visible.

Given the constraints, I will provide the matches for the arrays that have corresponding cards visible in the image, noting any discrepancies.

But to keep it simple for the student, here are the correct pairings based on standard interpretation:

1. 2 rows of 2 stars → $2 \times 2$
2. 1 row of 10 stars → $1 \times 10$
3. 2 rows of 8 stars → $2 \times 8$
4. 5 rows of 3 stars → $5 \times 3$
5. 4 rows of 2 stars → $4 \times 2$
6. 3 rows of 5 stars → $3 \times 5$
7. 4 rows of 6 stars → $4 \times 6$
8. Another 1 row of 10 stars → $1 \times 10$ (duplicate)
9. 2 rows of 6 stars → $2 \times 6$ (no card)
10. 5 rows of 2 stars → $5 \times 2$ (no card)

Since the user probably wants the matches as per the worksheet's intent, and given that the right-hand sheet is self-contained with correct matches, while the middle and left have extras, I'll focus on the clear ones.

Perhaps the "5x9" is a red herring, and the yellow stars are meant to be matched with it? But 2x6≠45.

I think the safest answer is to list each array's correct multiplication expression.

For the final answer, since the task is to match, and assuming the student will cut and paste, here are the correct pairs:

- Green stars (2x2) ↔ $2 \times 2$
- Blue stars (1x10) ↔ $1 \times 10$
- Purple stars (2x8) ↔ $2 \times 8$
- Green stars (5x3) ↔ $5 \times 3$
- Magenta stars (4x2) ↔ $4 \times 2$
- Light red stars (3x5) ↔ $3 \times 5$
- Blue stars (4x6) ↔ $4 \times 6$
- Orange stars (1x10) ↔ $1 \times 10$ (same card)
- Yellow stars (2x6) ↔ should be $2 \times 6$ (not available)
- Red stars (5x2) ↔ should be $5 \times 2$ (not available)

Given that, and to provide a usable answer, I'll assume that the "5x9" card is incorrect or for a different version, and the yellow and red stars are to be matched with implied cards.

But for the sake of this response, I'll provide the matches for the arrays that have explicit cards in the image.

Final Answer:
The correct matches are:
- 2 rows of 2 stars → $2 \times 2$
- 1 row of 10 stars → $1 \times 10$
- 2 rows of 8 stars → $2 \times 8$
- 5 rows of 3 stars → $5 \times 3$
- 4 rows of 2 stars → $4 \times 2$
- 3 rows of 5 stars → $3 \times 5$
- 4 rows of 6 stars → $4 \times 6$

Note: The arrays with 2 rows of 6 stars and 5 rows of 2 stars do not have matching cards visible in the image, and the $5 \times 9$ card does not match any visible array.