if the product of two whole numbers is zero, then one of the factors is zero. To what axiom does this refer?
I am unsure of the answer dealing wth axiom but im thinking it would possibly be the non zero divisor?? I don't know if im right
The statement that if the product of two whole numbers is zero, then one of the factors is zero refers to the axiom known as the Zero Product Property. This axiom is often used in algebra to solve equations.
The Zero Product Property states that if the product of two quantities is zero, then at least one of the quantities must be zero. In other words, if A * B = 0, then either A = 0 or B = 0, or both could be zero.
To understand why this is the case, you can consider the definition of multiplication. Multiplication is the process of repeated addition. So, if A * B = 0, it means that if you add A to itself B times, you would get a sum of zero. In order for this to happen, either A or B (or both) must be zero.
In your case, if the product of two whole numbers is zero, it means that one of the factors must be zero. This aligns with the Zero Product Property, which states that if the product is zero, at least one factor must be zero.
The concept of non-zero divisor is not directly related to this particular statement. Non-zero divisors refer to elements in a ring or a field that do not result in a zero product when multiplied by other elements. It deals with more advanced abstract algebra concepts generally beyond the scope of basic arithmetic.