Final answer:
To find the missing number in the equation using the distributive property, we multiply each term in the equation separately and then combine like terms. In this case, the missing number is 15.
Step-by-step explanation:
In this question, we are asked to use the distributive property to find the missing number. The distributive property states that when you multiply a number by a sum or difference, you can multiply each term in the sum or difference separately and then add or subtract the results.
Let's apply the distributive property to the given equation: x (9+8)= (15 x 9) + (15 x 8).
- On the left side, we can multiply x by each term in the parentheses: x * 9 + x * 8.
- On the right side, we can multiply 15 by each term in the parentheses: 15 * 9 + 15 * 8.
Now we have x * 9 + x * 8 = 15 * 9 + 15 * 8. To simplify further, we can multiply each term: 9x + 8x = 135 + 120. Combining like terms, we have 17x = 255. Finally, we can divide both sides by 17 to solve for x: x = 255 / 17 = 15.
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