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Which property is exemplified by the equation ab = ba?

  1. Associative property

  2. Commutative property

  3. Distributive property

  4. Identity property

The correct answer is: Commutative property

The equation ab = ba illustrates the commutative property, which states that the order in which two numbers are multiplied does not affect the product. This means that swapping the factors will yield the same result, emphasizing the flexibility in rearranging factors in multiplication. The associative property pertains to how numbers are grouped in operations, particularly in addition and multiplication, affecting the outcome based on the grouping rather than the order. The distributive property involves distributing a multiplication operation over addition or subtraction, while the identity property refers to the effect of multiplying by one or adding zero, which preserves the original number. Thus, the correct identification of the commutative property in this context is accurate.