Distributive Property: Definition, Formula, Examples
In mathematics, the distributive property is a rule that allows you to multiply a single term and two terms inside of a set of parentheses. The distributive property is used in algebraic equations to simplify them and make them easier to solve. The distributive property is also used in geometry to help find the area of shapes. In this blog post, we will explore the distributive property in depth, including its definition, formula, and examples.
Distributive Property Definition
The distributive property is a mathematical rule that allows you to multiply a single term outside of parentheses by each term inside the parentheses. This rule is useful when you’re trying to simplify equations or algebraic expressions. The distributive property is also sometimes called the distributive law of multiplication.
Here’s a quick example of the distributive property in action:
3(4 + 5) = 3(4) + 3(5) = 12 + 15 = 27
As you can see, the distributive property allows us to take the 3 that’s outside the parentheses and multiply it by each term inside the parentheses (4 and 5), and then add those two products together.
The distributive property is valid for addition and multiplication, but not for subtraction and division. In other words, you can use the distributive property when you’re multiplying a single term by a sum or difference, but not when you’re subtracting or dividing one term by another.
Distributive Property Formula
The distributive property is a mathematical rule that allows you to multiply a single number by a group of numbers. The distributive property formula is:
a(b+c) = ab + ac
This formula states that the product of a and the sum of b and c is equal to the sum of the products of a and b, and a and c. In other words, you can distribute the multiplier a over the addition problem b+c.
Here’s an example of how to use the distributive property formula:
If you’re multiplying 3 times 4, you can use the distributive property to simplify this equation. 3 times 4 is equal to 3 times (2+2). So using the distributive property formula, we get:
3(4) = 3(2+2)
a(b+c) = ab + ac
Distributive Property of Addition
The distributive property of addition is a mathematical rule that allows you to simplify an addition problem by breaking it down into smaller parts. The rule states that when you are adding two or more numbers, you can add the numbers in any order and still get the same result.
For example, let’s say you want to add 7 + 3 + 5. You could add the 7 first and then add the 3 and 5, or you could add the 3 and 5 first and then add the 7. Either way, you would get 15 as your answer.
The distributive property of addition is a helpful tool when you are solving problems with large numbers. It can also be used to help understand other concepts in math, such as fractions and decimals.
Distributive Property of Subtraction
When we subtract a number from both sides of an equation, the distributive property allows us to simplify the equation. For example, if we want to subtract 4 from each side of the equation x + 3 = 7, we can use the distributive property of subtraction to simplify the equation.
We can distributively subtract 4 from each side of the equation to get:
x + 3 – 4 = 7 – 4
x = 3
Verification of Distributive Property
In mathematics, the distributive property is a rule used to simplify certain algebraic expressions. The distributive property states that for any real numbers a, b, and c, the following equation holds true:
a(b + c) = ab + ac
This rule allows us to distribute the term a to both b and c in the expression on the left-hand side of the equation. As a result, we can rewrite the expression on the right-hand side as follows:
ab + bc + ca = ab + ac
The distributive property is often used when solving equations or simplifying expressions. For instance, consider the equation 4x + 3 = 2x + 9. We can use the distributive property to simplify this equation by distributing the term 4 to both terms on the left-hand side of the equation:
4x + 3 = 4(2x) + (4x)3
8x + 3 = 8x + 12
8x – 5 = 8x
Distributive Property of Division
Division is one of the four basic operations in mathematics, the others being addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The division operation usually denoted by a obelus symbol (÷), or a slash (/), can be applied to any kind of number, including decimals, fractions, and mixed numbers. Dividing two rational numbers results in another rational number; however, if the division is between an irrational number and a rational number, the result is an irrational number.
The distributive property of division states that for any real numbers a and b, and for any non-zero real number c, we have:
a ÷ c = (a ÷ c)b
That is, division is distributive over multiplication. In other words, the division of a real number by another real number can be expressed as a multiplication of that first real number by the reciprocal (multiplicative inverse) of the second real number. This property holds true regardless of the order in which we perform the operations of division and multiplication. For example:
5 ÷ 2 = (5 ÷ 2)1 = 5 × (2 ÷ 1) = 5 × 2 = 10
2 ÷ 5 = (2 ÷ 5)1 = 2 × (5 ÷ 1) = 2 × 0.4 = 0.8
Distributive Property Examples
The distributive property is a mathematical rule that allows you to multiply a single number by a group of numbers. The answer is the same as if you had multiplied each number in the group by the single number. The distributive property is often used when multiplying large numbers or when working with fractions.
Here are some examples of the distributive property in action:
If you’re multiplying 7 x 3, you can use the distributive property to simplify the calculation. 7 x 3 = 21. But so does 7 x (2 + 1). So, 7 x 3 = 7 x 2 + 7 x 1 = 14 + 7 = 21.
You can also use the distributive property when multiplying fractions. For example, if you want to find out what ½ x 4 is, you can use the distributive property to simplify the problem. ½ x 4 = 2, because ½ x (2 + 2) = 1 + 1 = 2.
Summary
The distributive property is a mathematical rule that allows you to simplify expressions that contain multiple terms. The basic idea behind the distributive property is that you can distribute a single term across multiple terms. For example, if you have an expression such as 3x + 2y, you can rewrite it as 3(x + 2y) using the distributive property.
The distributive property is generally written in the following form:
a(b + c) = ab + ac
You can use the distributive property to simplify expressions that contain addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In general, the distributive property works by breaking down an expression into smaller parts that are easier to work with. For example, if you have an expression such as 8x – 4y, you can use the distributive property to rewrite it as 8x – 4(x – y). This new expression is much easier to work with than the original one.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using the distributive property. First, you can only distribute one term at a time. So, if you have an expression such as 3x + 2y + 5z, you would need to use the distributive property twice in order to simplify it. Second, make sure that your parentheses are placed correctly when using the distributive property. In our previous example, we added parentheses around (x – y) in order to make it clear that this
Frequently Asked Questions
-What is the distributive property?
The distributive property is a mathematical rule that allows you to multiply a single term outside of parentheses by each term inside the parentheses. This process simplifies complex equations and can be applied to algebraic expressions that include addition and subtraction.
-What is the formula for the distributive property?
The distributive property formula is: a(b+c) = ab + ac. This formula states that when you have a single term (a) multiplied by a sum of terms (b+c), you can multiply the first term by each individual term in the sum and then add those products together.
-What are some examples of the distributive property?
Some examples of the distributive property in action include:
3(4+5) = 3(9) = 27
2x(x+1) = 2xx + 2×1 = 2×2 + 2
5[2+(3-1)]= 5[4] = 20