Final answer:
Laura could have multiplied 5 by any positive number less than 1 or any negative number to obtain a product less than 5. Examples include multiplying by 0.5 to get 2.5 or multiplying by -1 to get -5.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Laura multiplies 5 by a number and the product is less than 5, then the number she multiplied by must be less than 1, since multiplying by 1 would give a product of 5 the same as the original number. To achieve a product less than the original number when dealing with positive numbers, Laura would have to multiply by a fraction between 0 and 1. If the operation involves negative numbers, then she could also have multiplied by a negative number, as this would also result in a product that is less than 5.
For example, if Laura multiplies 5 by 0.5, the product is 2.5, which is less than 5. On the other hand, if she multiplies 5 by -1, the product is -5, which is also less than 5. Therefore, the possible numbers Laura could have multiplied by are any positive number less than 1 or any negative number.