Select the postulate that is illustrated for the real numbers.

[tex]\[ 2(x+3) = 2x + 6 \][/tex]

A. The commutative postulate for multiplication
B. The multiplication identity
C. The addition inverse postulate
D. The commutative postulate for addition
E. The distributive postulate
F. The addition of zero postulate
G. The multiplication inverse



Answer :

To identify which postulate is illustrated by the equation \(2(x + 3) = 2x + 6\), we first need to understand what each postulate signifies and see how they apply to our equation:

1. The commutative postulate for multiplication states that for any two real numbers \(a\) and \(b\), \(a \cdot b = b \cdot a\).
2. Multiplication identity states that multiplying any number by 1 yields that number, i.e., \(a \cdot 1 = a\).
3. The addition inverse postulate states that for any real number \(a\), there exists an additive inverse \(-a\) such that \(a + (-a) = 0\).
4. Commutative postulate for addition states that for any two real numbers \(a\) and \(b\), \(a + b = b + a\).
5. The distributive postulate states that for any three real numbers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), \(a(b + c) = ab + ac\).
6. The addition of zero postulate states that adding zero to any number yields that number, i.e., \(a + 0 = a\).
7. The multiplication inverse states that for any non-zero real number \(a\), there exists a multiplicative inverse \(\frac{1}{a}\) such that \(a \cdot \frac{1}{a} = 1\).

Now, let’s apply this to the given equation:

[tex]\[2(x + 3) = 2x + 6\][/tex]

This equation shows that a single term, \(2\), is applied to each term inside the parentheses, \(x + 3\). This is consistent with the distributive property of multiplication over addition.

According to the distributive postulate:
[tex]\[a(b + c) = ab + ac\][/tex]

In the equation, \(a = 2\), \(b = x\), and \(c = 3\). When we apply the distributive property, we multiply \(2\) by both \(x\) and \(3\) which gives:
[tex]\[2 \cdot x + 2 \cdot 3 = 2x + 6\][/tex]

Thus, the postulate that is illustrated for the real numbers
[tex]\[2(x + 3) = 2x + 6\][/tex]
is the distributive postulate.

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