Remember that you can distribute multiplication over addition? You can also distribute exponents over multiplication.
Here’s how and why it works:
And here it is written out “long ways” for an algebra problem. Remember, you can use the short version. I do the videos with the long version to help you remember why it works.
Have any questions? Post them in the comments!
There’s an amazingly fancy tool that I began discussing in the last post. This D-word probably has been a close friend of yours for a while. It’s likely you’ve used it before and just didn’t realize it.
Well, now you can give it a name and give it some practice. It’s the Distributive Property.
Fancy name. Fabulous friend.
Check out what’s really going on with 87 x 48 here…
That one you can do quickly with pencil and paper. Here’s an easier one that you are more likely to do in your head (after practice with P&P of course)…
Have you done this before? Share your stories in the comments.
One of the common errors in algebra is canceling bits in fractions that can’t be canceled. To remember the rule, though, you don’t have to memorize anything. You only have to think of a plain arithmetic problem to compare it.
To help you remember what’s allowed with problem:
think about this simpler problem:
Like this:
And just to keep you straight, here are the requirements (and a couple of examples) for the fancy <cue music> “distributive property.”
What do you think of this explanation? Post your thoughts in the comments.