Final answer:
The student applied the distributive property when they used it to simplify an algebraic expression or equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student applied the distributive property when they used it to simplify an algebraic expression or equation. The distributive property states that for any three numbers a, b, and c, the expression a(b + c) is equal to ab + ac. It is often used to simplify expressions by distributing a factor into all the terms inside parentheses. For example, if Peter had the expression 2(x + 3), he would apply the distributive property by multiplying 2 by both x and 3, resulting in 2x + 6.