The distributive property of multiplication is a very useful property that lets you simplify expressions in which you are multiplying a number by a sum or difference. The property states that the product of a sum or difference, such as 6(5 – 2), is equal to the sum or difference of the products – in this case, 6(5) – 6(2).
Remember that there are several ways to write multiplication. 3 x 6 = 3(6) = 3 • 6.
3 • (2 + 4) = 3 • 6 = 18.
Distributive Property of Multiplication over Addition
The distributive property of multiplication over addition can be used when you multiply a number by a sum. For example, suppose you want to multiply 3 by the sum of 10 + 2.
3(10 + 2) = ?
According to this property, you can add the numbers and then multiply by 3.
3(10 + 2) = 3(12) = 36. Or, you can first multiply each addend by the 3. (This is called distributing the 3.) Then, you can add the products.