The Laws of Arithmetic - Commutative, Associative

and Distributive Properties - Answers

An operation is said to be commutative if the order of the operands doesn’t affect the
result. For example, addition is commutative because a + b = b + a.
An operation is said to be associative when adding brackets anywhere in a calculation
doesn’t change the result. For example, multiplication is associative because
a × b × c = (a × b) × c = a × (b × c).
Operations are distributive if one operation is independent of being carried out before
or after another. This means we can, for example, distribute multiplication and addition.
For example, to calculate 8 × 47 we can distribute 8 × (40 + 7). This is equivalent to
(8 × 40) + (8 × 7).

We can multiply 40 and 7 by 8 and then add the results.

(8 × 40) + (8 × 7) = 320 + 56
= 376.

1. Rewrite each of these calculations so the digits are in ascending order. Check your
answers by evaluating both the original calculation and your new one.
The first one is done for you.
a. 7 + 2 = 9 f. 14 + 23 + 17 = 54

2+7=9 14 + 17 + 23 = 54

b. 5 + 1 = 6 g. 8 + -2 = 6

1 + 5 = 6 -2 + 8 = 6

c. 15 + 11 = 26 h. 10 + -3 = 7

11 + 15 = 26 -3 + 10 = 7

d. 17 + 2 + 7 = 26 i. 12 + -7 = 5

2 + 7 + 17 = 26 -7 + 12 = 5

e. 3 + 9 + 7 = 19 j. 5 + 6 + -16 = -5
3 + 7 + 9 = 19 -16 + 5 + 6 = -5

2. Freddy doesn’t know his 7- or 8-times tables but he does know the others. Rewrite the
questions below so Freddy can answer them all.
a. 7 × 5 c. 7 × 6 e. 8 × 3

5 × 7 = 35 6 × 7 = 42 3 × 8 = 24

b. 8 × 11 d. 8 × 9 f. 7 × 3

11 × 8 = 88 9 × 8 = 88 3 × 7 = 21

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 The Laws of Arithmetic - Commutative, Associative and Distributive Properties - Answers

3. By placing brackets in two different ways in each of these calculations, show that they
are associative.
a. 5 + 7 + 8 c. 6 × 3 × 5

(5 + 7) + 8 = 12 + 8 (6 × 3) × 5 = 18 × 5

= 20 = 90

5 + (7 + 8) = 5 + 15 6 × (3 × 5) = 6 × 15

= 20 = 90

b. 2 + 3 + 5 d. 4 × 11 × 2

(2 + 3) + 5 = 5 + 5 (4 × 11) × 2 = 44 × 2

= 10 = 88

2 + (3 + 5) = 2 + 8 4 × (11 × 2) = 4 × 22

= 10 = 88

4. Each of the calculations on the left is equivalent to one on the right. Match up the
equivalent calculations and write the simplified calculations in the middle column.
The first one is done for you.

40 × 9 + 8 × 9 70 × 9 + 2 × 9

72 × 10 + 72 × -1 50 × 9 + -2 × 9

90 × 9 + 9 × 9 100 × 9 + 30 × 9 + -1 × 9

50 × 9 + 40 × 9 + 2 × 9 90 × 9 + 2 × 9

90 × 9 + -1 × 9 100 × 9 + -1 × 9

100 × 9 + 20 × 9 + 9 × 9 80 × 9 + 9 × 9

40 × 9 + 8 × 9 48 × 9 50 × 9 + -2 × 9

72 × 10 + 72 × -1 72 × 9 70 × 9 + 2 × 9

90 × 9 + 9 × 9 99 × 9 100 × 9 × -1 × 9

50 × 9 + 40 × 9 + 2 × 9 92 × 9 90 × 9 + 2 × 9

90 × 9 + -1 × 9 89 × 9 80 × 9 + 9 × 9

100 × 9 + 20 × 9 + 9 × 9 129 × 9 100 × 9 + 30 × 9 + -1 × 9

5. a. Give an example to show that subtraction is not commutative.

Any correct example, such as: 5 – 7 = -2 but 7 – 5 = 2.

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 The Laws of Arithmetic - Commutative, Associative and Distributive Properties - Answers

b. Give an example to show that subtraction is not associative.

Any correct example, such as:
(15 – 2) – 7 = 13 – 7
=6
15 – (2 – 7) = 15 – -5

= 20

c. Give an example to show that subtraction is distributive over multiplication.

Any correct example, such as:
8 × 99 = 8 × (100 – 1)
= 8 × 100 – 8 × 1
= 800 – 8

= 792

6. a. Give an example to show that division is not commutative.

1
Any correct example, such as: 15 ÷ 5 = 3 but 5 ÷ 15 = 3 

b. Give an example to show that division is not associative.

Any correct example, such as:
(60 ÷ 10) ÷ 2 = 6 ÷ 2
=3
60 ÷ (10 ÷ 2) = 60 ÷ 5

= 12
7. Josie has done the following calculation.

3 2 1
× 1 1
1 1
2 2 0
3 3 0 0
3 5 3 1

a. Explain how she has distributed multiplication and addition.

Josie has used the fact that 321 = 300 + 20 + 1 and has calculated 11 × 1, 11 × 20,
and 11 × 300 and then added the results.

b. Osha is doing the same calculation. He writes the following working. Explain how
Osha has distributed multiplication and addition.

3 2 1
× 1 1
3 2 1
3 2 1 0
3 5 3 1

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 The Laws of Arithmetic - Commutative, Associative and Distributive Properties - Answers

Osha has split 11 into its components rather than 321. He has calculated
321 × 1 and 321 × 10 and then added the results.
8. Hassan is finding the sum of sets of numbers. For each question below, rewrite them in
a manner that will not change the answer but will make the calculation easier. You may
want to use a mixture of the commutative, associative and distributive laws.
Justify your answer.
NOTE: Some answers will vary.
a. 8 + 1 + 2 + 9 + 7
(8 + 2) + (9 + 1) + 7

The numbers are grouped so they will add to 10.

b. 47 + 3 + 18 + 32
(47 + 3) + 10 + 30 + (8 + 2)
The numbers are split into tens and units or grouped so they will add to a
multiple of 10.

c. 32 + 18 + 14 + 32 + 4
30 + 10 + 2 + 8 + 30 + 10 + 2 + 4 + 4
30 + 10 + (2 + 8) + 30 + 10 + (2 + 4 + 4)

The numbers are split into tens and units and the units are paired to add to 10.

d. 99 + 12 + 89
(99 + 1) + 10 + (1 + 89)
The numbers have been grouped so they add to a multiple of 10.

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