The end result of 6 X 2 is the same as 2 x 6 but are they the same thing? This mini project will help you have more control of how you make something spin. (By using multiplication and looking at the commutative property)
Standard 3.OA.5 Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. For example: If 6 x 4 = 24 is known, then 4 x 6 = 24 is also known (commutative property of multiplication). 3 x 5 x 2 can be found by 3 x 5 = 15, then 15 x 2 = 30, or by 5 x 2 = 10, then 3 x 10 = 30 (associative property of multiplication). Knowing that 8 x 5 = 40 and 8 x 2 = 16, one can find 8 x 7 as 8 x (5 + 2) = (8 x 5) + (8 x 2) = 40 + 16 = 56 (distributive property). (Third grade students may, but need not, use formal terms for these properties.)
