Question

Use the Associative Property of Addition to simplify 3x+(x+2) to its simplest equivalent form

Answer 1

The Associative Property of Addition states that the grouping of numbers does not affect the sum. In other words, when adding, you can regroup the numbers in any way you want.

To simplify the expression \( 3x + (x + 2) \), you can first eliminate the parentheses and regroup the terms:

\[
3x + (x + 2) = 3x + x + 2
\]

Now, combine the like terms \( 3x \) and \( x \):

\[
3x + x = 4x
\]

So the expression now becomes:

\[
4x + 2
\]

Thus, the simplest equivalent form of \( 3x + (x + 2) \) is:

\[
\boxed{4x + 2}
\]