If the cost of a pencil is $2 and you buy 3 pencils, how much do you spend?

To determine the total cost of buying three pencils at a price of $2 each, you multiply the cost per pencil by the number of pencils purchased. So, the calculation is:

Total cost = Cost per pencil × Number of pencils

Total cost = $2 × 3 = $6

This shows the process clearly: you take the cost of one pencil, which is $2, and then since you are buying three, you add that cost together three times (or, mathematically, multiply). The result of $6 clearly indicates the total amount spent on the three pencils.