Commutative Property

In math, the commutative property refers to the rule that states that the order of the numbers in an addition or multiplication problem does not change the result. This means that when adding or multiplying two or more numbers, you can change the order of the numbers without changing the sum or product.

Commutative Property of Addition

For addition, the commutative property can be expressed as:

a + b = b + a

For example, 2 + 3 is the same as 3 + 2, and both equal 5.

Commutative Property of Multiplication

For multiplication, the commutative property can be expressed as:

a × b = b × a

For example, 2 × 3 is the same as 3 × 2, and both equal 6.

Understanding the commutative property can help first graders solve addition and multiplication problems more easily, as they can rearrange the numbers to make the calculations simpler.