California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Math Practice Exam

Which of the following is an example of the distributive property?

1. a(b + c) = ab + ac

2. a + b = c

3. a - b = c

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: a(b + c) = ab + ac

The distributive property is a fundamental algebraic principle that states when you multiply a number by a sum, you can distribute the multiplication to each term within the parentheses. This means you can break down the expression into simpler parts, which is exactly what is demonstrated in the first option: a(b + c) = ab + ac. In this expression, 'a' is being multiplied by the entire quantity of 'b + c'. According to the distributive property, this can be rewritten as the sum of 'a' multiplied by 'b' and 'a' multiplied by 'c'. The formula shows that you are distributing 'a' across both 'b' and 'c', which aligns perfectly with the definition of the distributive property. The other options do not exemplify the distributive property. They either represent basic equations or do not involve multiplication across a sum. Thus, option A clearly illustrates the concept of the distributive property in action.