What is Distributive Property?

The Distributive Property is a fundamental property of arithmetic that involves multiplication and addition (or subtraction). It states that when a number is multiplied by a sum (or difference), the result is the same as multiplying each term inside the parentheses separately and then adding (or subtracting) the results.

In mathematical terms, the Distributive Property can be written as:

a(b + c) = ab + ac

or

a(b - c) = ab - ac

Here:

a, b, and c are numbers (or expressions).
When you multiply a by the sum of b and c, you get the same result as multiplying a by b and then multiplying a by c, and finally adding the two products.
Example:
Let’s take the expression 3(4 + 5):

Using the Distributive Property:

3(4 + 5) = 3 × 4 + 3 × 5 = 12 + 15 = 27

So, the Distributive Property helps simplify expressions by distributing the multiplication over the addition or subtraction inside the parentheses.