The distributive property, also known as the distributive law of multiplication over addition or subtraction, is a fundamental property of numbers. It states that multiplying a sum or difference by a number gives the same result as multiplying each addend or subtrahend separately by the number and then adding or subtracting the products. The property is expressed as a(b + c) = ab + ac or a(b – c) = ab – ac.
Distributive Property Formula
The general formula for the distributive property is:
- For addition: a(b + c) = ab + ac
- For subtraction: a(b – c) = ab – ac
Example 1: Distributive Property with Addition
Apply the distributive property to 3(2 + 4).
Calculation: 3(2 + 4) = 3 * 2 + 3 * 4 = 6 + 12 = 18.
Example 2: Distributive Property with Subtraction
Apply the distributive property to 4(5 – 2).
Calculation: 4(5 – 2) = 4 * 5 – 4 * 2 = 20 – 8 = 12.
The Most Popular Topics:
- Corresponding angles
- Adjacent angles
- Congruent angles
- Complementary angles
- How to multiply fractions – multiplying fractions
- How to divide fractions – dividing fractions
- How to add fractions – adding fractions
- How to subtract fractions – subtracting fractions
- How to simplify fractions – simplifying fractions
- Midpoint, midpoint formula
- Quadratic formula
- Quadratic equation
- Median – what is the median in math?
- How to find median?
- Distributive property
- Associative property
- Commutative property
- Quotient – what is a quotient?
- Quotient rule
- System of equations
- Solving system of equations
- Linear equations
- Solving equations
- Slope
- Slope formula
- Slope calculator
- Point slope formula
- Slope intercept form
- How to find slope?
- Convert fraction to decimal
- Factors of a number
- Point slope form
- Slope equation
- Domain and range
- Domain – what is domain in math?
- How to find the domain of a function?
- How to find domain and range?
- Polynomial
- Polynomial long division
- Polynomial division – dividing polynomials
- Degree of polynomial
- Factoring polynomials – how to factor polynomials?
- Perpendicular lines
- Parabola equation
- Isosceles triangle
- Perimeter of triangle
- Scalene triangle
- Obtuse triangle
- Acute triangle
- Right triangle
- Trapezoid area formula
- What is a trapezoid?
- Isosceles trapezoid
- Rectangle
- Area of a rectangle
- Perimeter of a rectangle – how to find perimeter of a rectangle?
- Pythagorean theorem
- Vertex – how to find vertex?
- Vertex form
- Vertex formula
- How to find square root of a number?
Return to MathQuadrum.com from Distributive property home for more topics on mathematics