1. The problem is to multiply 16 by 9. 2. The multiplication formula is $a \times b = c$, where $a$ and $b$ are numbers and $c$ is their product. 3. Here, $a = 16$ and $b = 9$. 4. Multiply 16 by 9: $$16 \times 9 = 144$$ 5. So, the answer is 144.