Final answer:
The expression 1/4(8 × 4) simplifies to 8, using the distributive property by multiplying 1/4 by the product of 8 and 4.
Step-by-step explanation:
In mathematics, using the distributive property to simplify the expression 1/4(8 × 4) involves multiplying the number outside the parentheses—1/4—by each term inside the parentheses. The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac. In this expression, there is only one term inside the parentheses, so you simply multiply 1/4 by 8 and then by 4.
Multiply 8 by 4 to get 32.
Multiply 1/4 by 32 to get the final answer.
1/4 × 32 = 8.
The expression simplifies to 8, which is also recognized by understanding that dividing by 4 is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal 1/4 and that multiplication and division are related operations.