Jason used the commutative property to write an expression that is equivalent to 3

4
+ 5.6b + 9.

3
4
+ 5.6b + 9 is equivalent to 9.0 + 56b + 3.4.

Is Jason’s work correct?
No, Jason changed the terms.
Yes, Jason’s work is correct.
No, Jason forgot the parentheses.
No, Jason should not have changed the order of the terms.

1 answer

To determine if Jason's work is correct, we need to evaluate what the expression is and how the commutative property applies.

The original expression is:

\( 3.4 + 5.6b + 9 \)

Jason wrote this as:

\( 9.0 + 56b + 3.4 \)

Checking the terms: The original expression has a constant term of \( 3.4 \), a variable term of \( 5.6b \), and another constant term of \( 9 \).
Analysis of the new expression: In Jason's expression, \( 9.0 \) is equivalent to \( 9 \), but \( 56b \) is not equivalent to \( 5.6b \).
Commutative Property: The commutative property allows for the rearrangement of terms in an addition expression, but it does not allow changing the numerical values of the coefficients associated with the variables.

Since Jason changed the coefficient of \( b \) from \( 5.6 \) to \( 56 \) (which is incorrect), the terms have been altered incorrectly.

Given this analysis, the correct answer is:

No, Jason changed the terms.