6. Multiplication and division
6.06 Properties of multiplication
Lesson
Are you ready?
Remembering your work with groups and arrays will help you solve problems in this lesson. Let's give this problem a try.
Which number sentence describes the array?
There may be more than one correct answer.
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$$6×2=3
A$$3×2=6
B$$2×3=6
C
Learn
We can use different properties of multiplication to solve problems. The properties we're interested in are:
| Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Commutative property | Switching the order of multiplication has the same result | $$2×6=6×2 |
| Associative property | If there is more than one multiplication in a row, we can do them in any order | $$2×(3×4)=(2×3)×4 |
| Distributive property | Multiplying a sum is the same as multiplying each part and then adding | $$5×13=5×(3+10)=(5×3)+(5×10) |
Apply
Question 1
Use the commutative and associative properties of multiplication to find the value of $$2×7×5, filling in the blanks below.
$$2×7×5 $$= $$7$$×$$$$×$$5 $$= $$7$$×$$ $$= $$
Remember!
We can use these properties to help us rearrange numbers in a number sentence to make them easier to solve.