2. \( 7 * 5= \)

Did you know that multiplication has ancient roots? The Babylonians, as early as 2000 BCE, used a base-60 system that laid the foundation for our modern understanding of math. Although they didn’t have calculators, they mastered how to perform complex calculations using clay tablets and geometric methods! In the real world, multiplication like \( 7 \times 5 \) helps us in various situations, such as figuring out the total cost of multiple items. For instance, if a pack of 5 pencils costs $7, you can easily calculate the total cost of 7 packs by multiplying, which helps with budgeting and shopping efficiently!