Let's roll up our sleeves and solve this. We have 972 and we're going to multiply it by 173, essentially adding 972 to itself 173 times.
Step 1: 0 + 972 = 972
Step 2: 972 + 972 = 1944
Step 3: 1944 + 972 = 2916
Step 4: 2916 + 972 = 3888
Step 5: 3888 + 972 = 4860
Step 6: 4860 + 972 = 5832
Step 7: 5832 + 972 = 6804
Step 8: 6804 + 972 = 7776
Step 9: 7776 + 972 = 8748
Step 10: 8748 + 972 = 9720
Step 11: 9720 + 972 = 10692
Step 12: 10692 + 972 = 11664
Step 13: 11664 + 972 = 12636
Step 14: 12636 + 972 = 13608
Step 15: 13608 + 972 = 14580
Step 16: 14580 + 972 = 15552
Step 17: 15552 + 972 = 16524
Step 18: 16524 + 972 = 17496
Step 19: 17496 + 972 = 18468
Step 20: 18468 + 972 = 19440
Step 21: 19440 + 972 = 20412
Step 22: 20412 + 972 = 21384
Step 23: 21384 + 972 = 22356
Step 24: 22356 + 972 = 23328
Step 25: 23328 + 972 = 24300
Step 26: 24300 + 972 = 25272
Step 27: 25272 + 972 = 26244
Step 28: 26244 + 972 = 27216
Step 29: 27216 + 972 = 28188
Step 30: 28188 + 972 = 29160
Step 31: 29160 + 972 = 30132
Step 32: 30132 + 972 = 31104
Step 33: 31104 + 972 = 32076
Step 34: 32076 + 972 = 33048
Step 35: 33048 + 972 = 34020
Step 36: 34020 + 972 = 34992
Step 37: 34992 + 972 = 35964
Step 38: 35964 + 972 = 36936
Step 39: 36936 + 972 = 37908
Step 40: 37908 + 972 = 38880
Step 41: 38880 + 972 = 39852
Step 42: 39852 + 972 = 40824
Step 43: 40824 + 972 = 41796
Step 44: 41796 + 972 = 42768
Step 45: 42768 + 972 = 43740
Step 46: 43740 + 972 = 44712
Step 47: 44712 + 972 = 45684
Step 48: 45684 + 972 = 46656
Step 49: 46656 + 972 = 47628
Step 50: 47628 + 972 = 48600
Step 51: 48600 + 972 = 49572
Step 52: 49572 + 972 = 50544
Step 53: 50544 + 972 = 51516
Step 54: 51516 + 972 = 52488
Step 55: 52488 + 972 = 53460
Step 56: 53460 + 972 = 54432
Step 57: 54432 + 972 = 55404
Step 58: 55404 + 972 = 56376
Step 59: 56376 + 972 = 57348
Step 60: 57348 + 972 = 58320
Step 61: 58320 + 972 = 59292
Step 62: 59292 + 972 = 60264
Step 63: 60264 + 972 = 61236
Step 64: 61236 + 972 = 62208
Step 65: 62208 + 972 = 63180
Step 66: 63180 + 972 = 64152
Step 67: 64152 + 972 = 65124
Step 68: 65124 + 972 = 66096
Step 69: 66096 + 972 = 67068
Step 70: 67068 + 972 = 68040
Step 71: 68040 + 972 = 69012
Step 72: 69012 + 972 = 69984
Step 73: 69984 + 972 = 70956
Step 74: 70956 + 972 = 71928
Step 75: 71928 + 972 = 72900
Step 76: 72900 + 972 = 73872
Step 77: 73872 + 972 = 74844
Step 78: 74844 + 972 = 75816
Step 79: 75816 + 972 = 76788
Step 80: 76788 + 972 = 77760
Step 81: 77760 + 972 = 78732
Step 82: 78732 + 972 = 79704
Step 83: 79704 + 972 = 80676
Step 84: 80676 + 972 = 81648
Step 85: 81648 + 972 = 82620
Step 86: 82620 + 972 = 83592
Step 87: 83592 + 972 = 84564
Step 88: 84564 + 972 = 85536
Step 89: 85536 + 972 = 86508
Step 90: 86508 + 972 = 87480
Step 91: 87480 + 972 = 88452
Step 92: 88452 + 972 = 89424
Step 93: 89424 + 972 = 90396
Step 94: 90396 + 972 = 91368
Step 95: 91368 + 972 = 92340
Step 96: 92340 + 972 = 93312
Step 97: 93312 + 972 = 94284
Step 98: 94284 + 972 = 95256
Step 99: 95256 + 972 = 96228
Step 100: 96228 + 972 = 97200
Step 101: 97200 + 972 = 98172
Step 102: 98172 + 972 = 99144
Step 103: 99144 + 972 = 100116
Step 104: 100116 + 972 = 101088
Step 105: 101088 + 972 = 102060
Step 106: 102060 + 972 = 103032
Step 107: 103032 + 972 = 104004
Step 108: 104004 + 972 = 104976
Step 109: 104976 + 972 = 105948
Step 110: 105948 + 972 = 106920
Step 111: 106920 + 972 = 107892
Step 112: 107892 + 972 = 108864
Step 113: 108864 + 972 = 109836
Step 114: 109836 + 972 = 110808
Step 115: 110808 + 972 = 111780
Step 116: 111780 + 972 = 112752
Step 117: 112752 + 972 = 113724
Step 118: 113724 + 972 = 114696
Step 119: 114696 + 972 = 115668
Step 120: 115668 + 972 = 116640
Step 121: 116640 + 972 = 117612
Step 122: 117612 + 972 = 118584
Step 123: 118584 + 972 = 119556
Step 124: 119556 + 972 = 120528
Step 125: 120528 + 972 = 121500
Step 126: 121500 + 972 = 122472
Step 127: 122472 + 972 = 123444
Step 128: 123444 + 972 = 124416
Step 129: 124416 + 972 = 125388
Step 130: 125388 + 972 = 126360
Step 131: 126360 + 972 = 127332
Step 132: 127332 + 972 = 128304
Step 133: 128304 + 972 = 129276
Step 134: 129276 + 972 = 130248
Step 135: 130248 + 972 = 131220
Step 136: 131220 + 972 = 132192
Step 137: 132192 + 972 = 133164
Step 138: 133164 + 972 = 134136
Step 139: 134136 + 972 = 135108
Step 140: 135108 + 972 = 136080
Step 141: 136080 + 972 = 137052
Step 142: 137052 + 972 = 138024
Step 143: 138024 + 972 = 138996
Step 144: 138996 + 972 = 139968
Step 145: 139968 + 972 = 140940
Step 146: 140940 + 972 = 141912
Step 147: 141912 + 972 = 142884
Step 148: 142884 + 972 = 143856
Step 149: 143856 + 972 = 144828
Step 150: 144828 + 972 = 145800
Step 151: 145800 + 972 = 146772
Step 152: 146772 + 972 = 147744
Step 153: 147744 + 972 = 148716
Step 154: 148716 + 972 = 149688
Step 155: 149688 + 972 = 150660
Step 156: 150660 + 972 = 151632
Step 157: 151632 + 972 = 152604
Step 158: 152604 + 972 = 153576
Step 159: 153576 + 972 = 154548
Step 160: 154548 + 972 = 155520
Step 161: 155520 + 972 = 156492
Step 162: 156492 + 972 = 157464
Step 163: 157464 + 972 = 158436
Step 164: 158436 + 972 = 159408
Step 165: 159408 + 972 = 160380
Step 166: 160380 + 972 = 161352
Step 167: 161352 + 972 = 162324
Step 168: 162324 + 972 = 163296
Step 169: 163296 + 972 = 164268
Step 170: 164268 + 972 = 165240
Step 171: 165240 + 972 = 166212
Step 172: 166212 + 972 = 167184
Step 173: 167184 + 972 = 168156

So, 972*173 = 168156