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Chapter 6—Expressions and Equations
6-4 Using the Distributive Property
When you complete the work for this section, you should be able to: - Describe the distributive property for multiplication and addition.
- Demonstrate how to use the distributive property
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Distributive Property — What It Is, How to Use It.
Definition The distributive property shows the relationship between the product of one term times the sum of two terms, a(b + c). a(b + c) = ab + ac where a, b, and c are real numbers. |
The distributive property applies to expressions such as 3(5x + y). To apply the property, simply multiply the outside factor, 3, times each of the inside terms, 5x and y. The result is 3(5x + y) = 15x + 3y.
| Procedure - Step 1: Multiply the outside factor by the first inside term.
- Step 2: Multiply the outside factor by the second inside term.
- Step 3: Combine the results.
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Examples
Examples & Exercises
| Use these interactive Examples & Exercises to strengthen your understanding and build your skills. Continue working the problems until you can do them consistently without error.: | |
