Understanding the Distributive Property

What is the first step in simplifying the expression 3(4 + 5) using the order of operations?

• Add 4 and 5

• Multiply 3 by 4

• Subtract 5 from 4

• Multiply 3 by 5

How does the distributive property simplify the expression 3(4 + 5)?

• By subtracting 3 from each term inside the parentheses

• By multiplying 3 by each term inside the parentheses separately

• By adding 3 to each term inside the parentheses

• By dividing each term inside the parentheses by 3

What is the result of applying the distributive property to 3(4 + 5)?

• 12 + 15

• 9 + 3

• 27

• 3 + 9

In the expression a(b + c), what is the first step when using the distributive property?

• Add b and c

• Multiply a by b

• Multiply a by c

• Subtract b from c

Which of the following represents the distributive property formula?

• a(b + c) = a + b + c

• a(b - c) = ab - ac

• a(b + c) = ab + ac

• a + b = c