Commutative property

Commute means to switch or trade places, just like when you swap your toys or share your snacks with a friend. In math, the commutative property is like switching or trading two things around, and still getting the same answer.

Let's use a simple example: addition. We know that 1+2 is the same as 2+1. That's because the numbers 1 and 2 can trade places or commute, and the answer will still be the same.

So if you have two numbers, let's say 3 and 5, and you want to add them up, you can switch them around and still get the same answer. 3+5 is the same as 5+3.

The commutative property works not just for addition, but also for multiplication. That means that 2x3 is the same as 3x2. Again, we can switch or trade the numbers and still get the same answer.

So the commutative property simply means that we can switch or trade numbers around, and the answer will still be the same. It's like sharing your toys with your friend or taking turns playing a game. Everyone wins and the game goes on!