The distributive property says that A times the quantity B plus C is equal to A times B plus A times C.

Let's say you have 40 times 32. You could use double-digit multiplication or you could rewrite it so that it says 40 times the quantity 30 plus two. This equals 40 times 30 plus 40 times two. Forty times 30 is 1200, and 40 times two is 80. Eighty plus 1200 is 1280.

Here's another example. If you have 40 times 29, you can rewrite that as 40 times the quantity 30 minus one. That's equal to 40 times 30 minus 30 times one. Forty times 30 is 1200, and 40 times one is 40. Lastly, 1200 minus 40 is 1160

You can always use the distributive property like you did above to expand things out and solve a problem, but you can also use it to collapse a problem so that it's easier to work with. Here's how:

If you have three times X minus 24, you can factor out a common number to simplify. In this case, three goes into both factors evenly, leaving you with three times the quantity X minus eight.