Math 1 · Lesson 3 · Step One · part 2 of 9
Why we only keep + and ×
In Lesson 2 you tested the properties.
Why we only keep + and ×
In Lesson 2 you tested the properties. Here is the punchline: the properties belong to addition and multiplication. You can add in any order, group either way, and distribute. Subtraction and division do not play fair (5 − 2 is not 2 − 5).
So we stop treating them as their own operations. Subtraction and division are just nicknames. Translate them into addition and multiplication, and every property is yours to use for the rest of the problem.