IT IS CUSTOMARY TO TEACH MULTIPLICATION TABLES IN THE USA UP TO 12 x 12 BECAUSE THE COUNTRY WAS ONCE PART OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE If you have an array of cells that is 3 [math]cm[/math] on one side and 4 [math]cm[/math] on the perpendicular side then the product is an area of 12 [math]cm^2[/math]. If you have an array of cells with 3 rows and 4 columns and you multiply 3 rows by 4 columns the product is 12 row*columns. Use this applet to understand what multiplication in the array model really means.