Let's roll up our sleeves and solve this. We have 3 and we're going to multiply it by 279, essentially adding 3 to itself 279 times.
Step 1: 0 + 3 = 3
Step 2: 3 + 3 = 6
Step 3: 6 + 3 = 9
Step 4: 9 + 3 = 12
Step 5: 12 + 3 = 15
Step 6: 15 + 3 = 18
Step 7: 18 + 3 = 21
Step 8: 21 + 3 = 24
Step 9: 24 + 3 = 27
Step 10: 27 + 3 = 30
Step 11: 30 + 3 = 33
Step 12: 33 + 3 = 36
Step 13: 36 + 3 = 39
Step 14: 39 + 3 = 42
Step 15: 42 + 3 = 45
Step 16: 45 + 3 = 48
Step 17: 48 + 3 = 51
Step 18: 51 + 3 = 54
Step 19: 54 + 3 = 57
Step 20: 57 + 3 = 60
Step 21: 60 + 3 = 63
Step 22: 63 + 3 = 66
Step 23: 66 + 3 = 69
Step 24: 69 + 3 = 72
Step 25: 72 + 3 = 75
Step 26: 75 + 3 = 78
Step 27: 78 + 3 = 81
Step 28: 81 + 3 = 84
Step 29: 84 + 3 = 87
Step 30: 87 + 3 = 90
Step 31: 90 + 3 = 93
Step 32: 93 + 3 = 96
Step 33: 96 + 3 = 99
Step 34: 99 + 3 = 102
Step 35: 102 + 3 = 105
Step 36: 105 + 3 = 108
Step 37: 108 + 3 = 111
Step 38: 111 + 3 = 114
Step 39: 114 + 3 = 117
Step 40: 117 + 3 = 120
Step 41: 120 + 3 = 123
Step 42: 123 + 3 = 126
Step 43: 126 + 3 = 129
Step 44: 129 + 3 = 132
Step 45: 132 + 3 = 135
Step 46: 135 + 3 = 138
Step 47: 138 + 3 = 141
Step 48: 141 + 3 = 144
Step 49: 144 + 3 = 147
Step 50: 147 + 3 = 150
Step 51: 150 + 3 = 153
Step 52: 153 + 3 = 156
Step 53: 156 + 3 = 159
Step 54: 159 + 3 = 162
Step 55: 162 + 3 = 165
Step 56: 165 + 3 = 168
Step 57: 168 + 3 = 171
Step 58: 171 + 3 = 174
Step 59: 174 + 3 = 177
Step 60: 177 + 3 = 180
Step 61: 180 + 3 = 183
Step 62: 183 + 3 = 186
Step 63: 186 + 3 = 189
Step 64: 189 + 3 = 192
Step 65: 192 + 3 = 195
Step 66: 195 + 3 = 198
Step 67: 198 + 3 = 201
Step 68: 201 + 3 = 204
Step 69: 204 + 3 = 207
Step 70: 207 + 3 = 210
Step 71: 210 + 3 = 213
Step 72: 213 + 3 = 216
Step 73: 216 + 3 = 219
Step 74: 219 + 3 = 222
Step 75: 222 + 3 = 225
Step 76: 225 + 3 = 228
Step 77: 228 + 3 = 231
Step 78: 231 + 3 = 234
Step 79: 234 + 3 = 237
Step 80: 237 + 3 = 240
Step 81: 240 + 3 = 243
Step 82: 243 + 3 = 246
Step 83: 246 + 3 = 249
Step 84: 249 + 3 = 252
Step 85: 252 + 3 = 255
Step 86: 255 + 3 = 258
Step 87: 258 + 3 = 261
Step 88: 261 + 3 = 264
Step 89: 264 + 3 = 267
Step 90: 267 + 3 = 270
Step 91: 270 + 3 = 273
Step 92: 273 + 3 = 276
Step 93: 276 + 3 = 279
Step 94: 279 + 3 = 282
Step 95: 282 + 3 = 285
Step 96: 285 + 3 = 288
Step 97: 288 + 3 = 291
Step 98: 291 + 3 = 294
Step 99: 294 + 3 = 297
Step 100: 297 + 3 = 300
Step 101: 300 + 3 = 303
Step 102: 303 + 3 = 306
Step 103: 306 + 3 = 309
Step 104: 309 + 3 = 312
Step 105: 312 + 3 = 315
Step 106: 315 + 3 = 318
Step 107: 318 + 3 = 321
Step 108: 321 + 3 = 324
Step 109: 324 + 3 = 327
Step 110: 327 + 3 = 330
Step 111: 330 + 3 = 333
Step 112: 333 + 3 = 336
Step 113: 336 + 3 = 339
Step 114: 339 + 3 = 342
Step 115: 342 + 3 = 345
Step 116: 345 + 3 = 348
Step 117: 348 + 3 = 351
Step 118: 351 + 3 = 354
Step 119: 354 + 3 = 357
Step 120: 357 + 3 = 360
Step 121: 360 + 3 = 363
Step 122: 363 + 3 = 366
Step 123: 366 + 3 = 369
Step 124: 369 + 3 = 372
Step 125: 372 + 3 = 375
Step 126: 375 + 3 = 378
Step 127: 378 + 3 = 381
Step 128: 381 + 3 = 384
Step 129: 384 + 3 = 387
Step 130: 387 + 3 = 390
Step 131: 390 + 3 = 393
Step 132: 393 + 3 = 396
Step 133: 396 + 3 = 399
Step 134: 399 + 3 = 402
Step 135: 402 + 3 = 405
Step 136: 405 + 3 = 408
Step 137: 408 + 3 = 411
Step 138: 411 + 3 = 414
Step 139: 414 + 3 = 417
Step 140: 417 + 3 = 420
Step 141: 420 + 3 = 423
Step 142: 423 + 3 = 426
Step 143: 426 + 3 = 429
Step 144: 429 + 3 = 432
Step 145: 432 + 3 = 435
Step 146: 435 + 3 = 438
Step 147: 438 + 3 = 441
Step 148: 441 + 3 = 444
Step 149: 444 + 3 = 447
Step 150: 447 + 3 = 450
Step 151: 450 + 3 = 453
Step 152: 453 + 3 = 456
Step 153: 456 + 3 = 459
Step 154: 459 + 3 = 462
Step 155: 462 + 3 = 465
Step 156: 465 + 3 = 468
Step 157: 468 + 3 = 471
Step 158: 471 + 3 = 474
Step 159: 474 + 3 = 477
Step 160: 477 + 3 = 480
Step 161: 480 + 3 = 483
Step 162: 483 + 3 = 486
Step 163: 486 + 3 = 489
Step 164: 489 + 3 = 492
Step 165: 492 + 3 = 495
Step 166: 495 + 3 = 498
Step 167: 498 + 3 = 501
Step 168: 501 + 3 = 504
Step 169: 504 + 3 = 507
Step 170: 507 + 3 = 510
Step 171: 510 + 3 = 513
Step 172: 513 + 3 = 516
Step 173: 516 + 3 = 519
Step 174: 519 + 3 = 522
Step 175: 522 + 3 = 525
Step 176: 525 + 3 = 528
Step 177: 528 + 3 = 531
Step 178: 531 + 3 = 534
Step 179: 534 + 3 = 537
Step 180: 537 + 3 = 540
Step 181: 540 + 3 = 543
Step 182: 543 + 3 = 546
Step 183: 546 + 3 = 549
Step 184: 549 + 3 = 552
Step 185: 552 + 3 = 555
Step 186: 555 + 3 = 558
Step 187: 558 + 3 = 561
Step 188: 561 + 3 = 564
Step 189: 564 + 3 = 567
Step 190: 567 + 3 = 570
Step 191: 570 + 3 = 573
Step 192: 573 + 3 = 576
Step 193: 576 + 3 = 579
Step 194: 579 + 3 = 582
Step 195: 582 + 3 = 585
Step 196: 585 + 3 = 588
Step 197: 588 + 3 = 591
Step 198: 591 + 3 = 594
Step 199: 594 + 3 = 597
Step 200: 597 + 3 = 600
Step 201: 600 + 3 = 603
Step 202: 603 + 3 = 606
Step 203: 606 + 3 = 609
Step 204: 609 + 3 = 612
Step 205: 612 + 3 = 615
Step 206: 615 + 3 = 618
Step 207: 618 + 3 = 621
Step 208: 621 + 3 = 624
Step 209: 624 + 3 = 627
Step 210: 627 + 3 = 630
Step 211: 630 + 3 = 633
Step 212: 633 + 3 = 636
Step 213: 636 + 3 = 639
Step 214: 639 + 3 = 642
Step 215: 642 + 3 = 645
Step 216: 645 + 3 = 648
Step 217: 648 + 3 = 651
Step 218: 651 + 3 = 654
Step 219: 654 + 3 = 657
Step 220: 657 + 3 = 660
Step 221: 660 + 3 = 663
Step 222: 663 + 3 = 666
Step 223: 666 + 3 = 669
Step 224: 669 + 3 = 672
Step 225: 672 + 3 = 675
Step 226: 675 + 3 = 678
Step 227: 678 + 3 = 681
Step 228: 681 + 3 = 684
Step 229: 684 + 3 = 687
Step 230: 687 + 3 = 690
Step 231: 690 + 3 = 693
Step 232: 693 + 3 = 696
Step 233: 696 + 3 = 699
Step 234: 699 + 3 = 702
Step 235: 702 + 3 = 705
Step 236: 705 + 3 = 708
Step 237: 708 + 3 = 711
Step 238: 711 + 3 = 714
Step 239: 714 + 3 = 717
Step 240: 717 + 3 = 720
Step 241: 720 + 3 = 723
Step 242: 723 + 3 = 726
Step 243: 726 + 3 = 729
Step 244: 729 + 3 = 732
Step 245: 732 + 3 = 735
Step 246: 735 + 3 = 738
Step 247: 738 + 3 = 741
Step 248: 741 + 3 = 744
Step 249: 744 + 3 = 747
Step 250: 747 + 3 = 750
Step 251: 750 + 3 = 753
Step 252: 753 + 3 = 756
Step 253: 756 + 3 = 759
Step 254: 759 + 3 = 762
Step 255: 762 + 3 = 765
Step 256: 765 + 3 = 768
Step 257: 768 + 3 = 771
Step 258: 771 + 3 = 774
Step 259: 774 + 3 = 777
Step 260: 777 + 3 = 780
Step 261: 780 + 3 = 783
Step 262: 783 + 3 = 786
Step 263: 786 + 3 = 789
Step 264: 789 + 3 = 792
Step 265: 792 + 3 = 795
Step 266: 795 + 3 = 798
Step 267: 798 + 3 = 801
Step 268: 801 + 3 = 804
Step 269: 804 + 3 = 807
Step 270: 807 + 3 = 810
Step 271: 810 + 3 = 813
Step 272: 813 + 3 = 816
Step 273: 816 + 3 = 819
Step 274: 819 + 3 = 822
Step 275: 822 + 3 = 825
Step 276: 825 + 3 = 828
Step 277: 828 + 3 = 831
Step 278: 831 + 3 = 834
Step 279: 834 + 3 = 837

So, 3*279 = 837