Question 58998
The distributive property says:
a(b+c)=ab+bc  the a gets multiplied by everything in the parenthesese
For instance:
2(4+3)=2(4)+2(3)=8+6=14
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Proof that it's true:
2(4+3)=2(7)=14
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Ex:
3(x+4)=3x+3(4)=3x+12
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There are too many ways to factor.  You'll have to give me an example of what you're working on.  I don't want to discourage you with something you're not up to yet.
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Since you asked about the distributive property, I will tell you that factoring out the GCF (greatest common factor) is the opposite of factoring:
3x+12=3(x)+3(4)=3(x+4)
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Happy Calculating!!!