If a=b and b=c, then a=c illustrates which property?

If a=b and b=c, then a=c illustrates which property?

• A. Transitive property
• B. Reciprocal property
• C. Cardinal numbers
• D. Ordinal numbers

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the transitive property of equality. It says that if a equals b and b equals c, then a must equal c. This lets you pass equality along a chain and substitute one quantity for another in any expression, which is fundamental when solving equations or simplifying algebra. For example, if a = b and b = c, you can conclude a = c and replace a with c (or c with a) wherever they appear. The other ideas—reciprocals, or counting/ordering concepts—don’t describe how equality connects three quantities, so they don’t fit this situation.

The main idea is the transitive property of equality. It says that if a equals b and b equals c, then a must equal c. This lets you pass equality along a chain and substitute one quantity for another in any expression, which is fundamental when solving equations or simplifying algebra. For example, if a = b and b = c, you can conclude a = c and replace a with c (or c with a) wherever they appear. The other ideas—reciprocals, or counting/ordering concepts—don’t describe how equality connects three quantities, so they don’t fit this situation.