Calculating four times -42

To calculate four times -42, you begin with the number represented by -42 and multiply it by 4. Multiplying by 4 means you are essentially adding -42 to itself four times, combining it repeatedly to reach the total. Using the expression (-42 * 4) clearly shows this multiplication step. Here, -42 is your starting number, and multiplying it by 4 yields the value -168. Understanding this process helps to grasp how multiplying any number by 4 increases its value exactly fourfold, which is the essence of calculating four times -42.