The expression "5 × 31" represents a multiplication problem where the number 5 is multiplied by 31. In simple terms, this means you are adding the number 31 together five times. Multiplication is a quick way to perform repeated addition, making it easier to calculate larger numbers. When you calculate "5 × 31," the result is 155. This means that if you have five groups of 31 items each, you would have a total of 155 items. Understanding multiplication helps in various real-life situations, such as budgeting or measuring quantities in cooking.