Final answer:
The property illustrated by the statement 7x² = (2) 7x is the Distributive property, which involves multiplying a number by each term within a sum separately. This is different from both the commutative property (which allows swapping numbers in addition or multiplication) and the associative property (which allows regrouping numbers).
Step-by-step explanation:
The property illustrated by the statement 7x² = (2) 7x is the c. Distributive property. This property states that when a number is multiplied by a sum, it must be distributed and multiplied by each term inside the parentheses. For example, in the expression a(b + c), the distributive property would be applied as ab + ac. This is different from the commutative property, which refers to the ability to change the order of numbers when adding or multiplying without changing the result (e.g., a + b = b + a or ab = ba), and the associative property, which allows for changing the grouping of numbers (e.g., (a + b) + c = a + (b + c)). Neither the commutative nor the associative property is applicable to our given statement.
Understanding the properties of numbers such as the distributive property is vital for simplifying expressions and solving equations effectively in algebra and beyond.