Question

Is the order in which you add two numbers important? Make a sketch to help explain your answer. What property does this illustrate?

Short answer

The order in which two numbers are added is not important due to the Commutative Property of Addition. The sketch illustrating this would show that regardless of the order, adding 3 and 5 or 5 and 3 results in the same total of 8.

Step-by-step solution

Select specific numbers

Choose two distinct numbers to work with for this problem. An example can be 3 and 5.

Demonstrate Order of Addition

Add the numbers in both orders. Start by adding 3 + 5 to get 8. Then, reverse the order and add 5 + 3 to also get 8. This shows that the order does not affect the sum.

Sketch a Representation

Sketch a representation of both sums. This can be done by drawing eight dots for each sum. For the 3 + 5 scenario, draw three dots, then five dots. For the 5 + 3 scenario, draw five dots, then three dots. This visual representation will clearly show that, regardless of the ordering, you always end up with eight dots.

Identify the Mathematical Property

The property this demonstrates is the Commutative Property of Addition, which states that changing the order of addends does not change the sum.