Skill: Apply the distributive property to expressions

The distributive property explains that a factor multiplied by a sum or difference multiplies every term: $a(b+c)=ab+ac$ and $a(b-c)=ab-ac$. Learners apply this relationship to numerical factors and simple one-variable expressions to produce equivalent forms, interpreting expanded expressions as the same total quantity and avoiding the misconception that the factor applies only to the first term; more advanced polynomial expansion and generalized coefficient systems are outside this scope.