Never was good at algebra. Just a dumb question here. In solving the area of a triangle is a=1/2bh equal to a=1/2hb equal to a=bh/2 ?
Yeah, that’s transitivity.
It doesn’t matter what order you do it in.
1/2 x b x h = b x 1/2 x h = b x h x 1/2 = h x 1/2 x b = h x b x 1/2.
Think of it like a scale. You’ve got six weights, two are b, two are h, and two are 1/2.
B, H and 1/2 all weigh the same, it doesn’t matter what order you put them on.
Yes, Multiplication works the same regardless of order. For example, 3x5 is the same as 5x3. That should make sense when you picture multiplication as a repetitive addition. If you have 4 piles of 5 pennies, it is the same amount of money as if you have 5 piles of 4 pennies.
Of course, your question already shows knowledge of the “language” of math. You knew how to construct a sentence that reflects a math question. It was funny how many people needed work to understand the shorthand you just used. “What happened to the multiplication sign?”