What does the distributive property allow you to do with multiplication over addition?

The distributive property is a fundamental concept in mathematics that allows you to multiply a single term by a sum of two or more terms inside parentheses. When you apply the distributive property, you effectively expand the expression by distributing the multiplication across each term in the addition.

For example, if you have an expression like ( a(b + c) ), applying the distributive property means calculating it as ( ab + ac ). This allows for a clear understanding of how each term in the parentheses contributes to the final result.

Expanding the expression using the distributive property is crucial for simplifying equations, solving problems, and making calculations easier. It allows for breaking down complex expressions into more manageable parts, which can be particularly helpful in algebra.

The other options do not align with what the distributive property specifically accomplishes. While factoring involves pulling out a common factor from terms, combining like terms refers to adding or subtracting coefficients of the same variable, and multiplying only one term does not capture the essence of the distributive property, which inherently involves all terms in the sum.