What are the steps for Apply the distributive property to the expression 24x + 18y.

The distributive property states that for any numbers a, b, and c, the expression a(b + c) is equal to ab + ac.

To apply the distributive property to the expression 24x + 18y, we look for any common factors that can be taken out.

Step 1: Identify the common factor.
In this case, the common factor is 6, which is the greatest common factor of 24 and 18.

Step 2: Factor out the common factor from each term.
By factoring out the common factor of 6, we can rewrite the expression as:
6(4x + 3y)

Step 3: Simplify the expression.
The expression 6(4x + 3y) is the result of applying the distributive property to 24x + 18y.