Conquer the FTCE General Knowledge Math 2025 – Ace Your Way to Teaching Excellence!

The correct answer is the commutative property. This property states that changing the order of the terms in an addition problem does not affect the sum. For example, if you have the expression 3 + 5, according to the commutative property, you can rewrite it as 5 + 3, and the result will still be 8. This fundamental principle is vital in mathematics as it allows flexibility in the arrangement of numbers when performing addition.

The other properties listed serve different functions: the distributive property involves multiplying a number by a sum or difference, the associative property relates to how numbers are grouped in addition or multiplication, and the identity property refers to the effect of adding zero to a number or multiplying by one, which does not change the number itself. Thus, while each property is essential in mathematics, the commutative property specifically addresses the ability to change the sequence of addends in an addition problem.