Identify which distributive property problem below would help you solve the following scenario: Your Math class has 32 students. You would like to treat the class to cookies. You would like each person to have 5 cookies. Which expression would be a quick way to figure out how many cookies you would need to bake?

Question

anonymous · Answer

5(32 + 2) 

 5(30 + 2) 

 5(32 − 2) 

 5(30 - 2) 
i know it's one of the middle two but i dont know which one it is.. they both come up with the same answer do which one would be the easiest?

lstrasmann · Answer

second one

anonymous · Answer

it would be the second one because you have 32 students so you have to add the 2 to the 30, not subtract from 32

phi · Answer

do which one would be the easiest?  YES
5(30+2) is easier
that is the point:  you can do 5*30 in your head (maybe?)  and 5*2 
then add them up.   you get 150+10 or 160

doing 5*32 in your head is harder.  and doing 5(32-2) though correct, is even harder than just 5*32