Understanding the Constant Factor Rule | A Fundamental Property of Multiplication in Mathematics

constant factor rule

The constant factor rule is a basic rule in mathematics that applies when dealing with multiples of a number

The constant factor rule is a basic rule in mathematics that applies when dealing with multiples of a number. In simple terms, it states that if you have a number or expression multiplied by a constant, you can factor out that constant.

Formally, for any real number “a” and any real number or algebraic expression “c”, the constant factor rule can be stated as:

a * c = c * a

This means that the order of the terms in a multiplication does not matter when one of the terms is a constant. You can move the constant to either the left or the right side of the multiplication without changing the result.

For example:

2 * 4 = 4 * 2 = 8

In this case, the constant factor rule allows us to rearrange the terms as we please without changing the multiplication result.

Another way of stating the constant factor rule is:

a * (b * c) = (a * b) * c

This means that if you have a constant multiplied by the product of two other numbers or expressions, you can distribute the constant across the multiplication. Again, the order of the terms does not matter.

For example:

2 * (3 * 4) = (2 * 3) * 4 = 24

Here, the constant factor rule allows us to distribute the 2 across the multiplication of 3 and 4, giving us the same result regardless of the order.

In summary, the constant factor rule is a fundamental property of multiplication that allows us to rearrange the terms or distribute a constant across a multiplication without changing the overall result.

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