Distributive Property Calculator
We can use the distributive property to expand and factor expressions.
Expanding an expression is like opening an umbrella:
We multiply each term inside the parentheses by the outside term .
Factoring an expression is like closing an umbrella:
We divide each term in the expression by the greatest common factor or GCF . The factored expression goes inside the parentheses, and the GCF goes on the outside.
Just like how the umbrella itself doesn’t change as it opens and closes, the value of the expression remains the same whether it’s expanded or factored.
What is a term? 🙋🏿
In a mathematical expression or equation, a term can be a single number, a single variable, or numbers and variables multiplied together or divided by each other.
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