The sum of 3 fifteens and 17 fifteens
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To solve the problem “The sum of 3 fifteens and 17 fifteens,” we can break it down into simple mathematical operations.
First, we are given that “fifteens” refers to the number 15. So the problem is asking for the sum of 3 times 15 and 17 times 15, which can be written as:
[
3 \times 15 + 17 \times 15
]
Step 1: Simplify the expression by factoring out the common factor
Both terms in the sum involve multiplying 15 by a number (3 and 17), so we can factor out the 15 to make the calculation easier:
[
15 \times (3 + 17)
]
Step 2: Perform the addition inside the parentheses
Now, simplify the expression inside the parentheses:
[
3 + 17 = 20
]
So the expression becomes:
[
15 \times 20
]
Step 3: Perform the multiplication
Now, we multiply 15 by 20:
[
15 \times 20 = 300
]
Final Answer:
The sum of 3 fifteens and 17 fifteens is 300.
Explanation:
In this problem, we were asked to find the sum of two groups of fifteens. By recognizing that both terms involve multiples of 15, we simplified the expression using the distributive property. The distributive property allows us to factor out the common factor (15), which made it easier to calculate the sum. By adding the numbers inside the parentheses (3 + 17), we got 20, and then multiplied 15 by 20 to get the final result.
This approach demonstrates how recognizing common factors and applying the distributive property can simplify what might seem like a more complicated calculation. The final answer, 300, represents the total sum of the 3 fifteens and 17 fifteens.