The distributive property for multiplication helps in solving expressions like a(b + c). It specifies that the result of multiplying one number by the sum or difference of two numbers can be obtained by multiplying each number individually and then totaling the results: a(b + c) = ab + ac. For example, 4(10-5) = (4 x 10) - (4 x 5) = 40 - 20 = 20.

The amount of flour you need is (2\(\frac{1}{4}\) - 1\(\frac{1}{8}\)) cups. Rewrite the quantities so they share a common denominator and subtract:

(\( \frac{18}{8} \) - \( \frac{9}{8} \)) cups
\( \frac{9}{8} \) cups
1\(\frac{1}{8}\) cups

The factors of a number are all positive integers that divide evenly into the number. The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20.

The equation for this sequence is:

a_n = a_n-1 + 4(n - 1)

where n is the term's order in the sequence, a_n is the value of the term, and a_n-1 is the value of the term before a_n. This makes the next number:

a₆ = a₅ + 4(6 - 1)
a₆ = 41 + 4(5)
a₆ = 61

The least common multiple (LCM) is the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of two or more integers.