Definition
The commutative property says you can add or multiply numbers in any order and still get the same answer. It does not work for subtraction or division.
Think of two groups of blocks. Whether you count the red group first or the blue group first, the total is the same.
Examples
- 3 + 5 = 5 + 3 = 8.
- 4 x 7 = 7 x 4 = 28.
- 2 + 9 = 9 + 2 = 11.