okay so i feel like a dummie for not knowing this but i need the answer FAST!

Which property would allow you to use mental computation to simplify the problem 27 + 15 + 3 + 5?

1) commutative property of addition
2) distributive property
3) additive identity
4) additive inverse

Please help me

They clearly want you to mentally group the numbers into

27+3 + 15+5 to quickly in your head find 20+20=40

Now which property lets you do something like
a+b = b+a ?

Of course, I'm here to help! To find the property that would allow you to use mental computation to simplify the problem, let's review each of the options:

1) The commutative property of addition states that changing the order of the numbers being added does not affect the sum. For example, 3 + 2 is the same as 2 + 3. This property does not help simplify the given problem because it does not allow for mental computation.

2) The distributive property is used when you multiply a number by a sum. For example, 3 * (2 + 4) would be distributed as 3 * 2 + 3 * 4. This property is not applicable to the given problem.

3) The additive identity property states that adding zero to any number does not change the value of the number. For example, 5 + 0 is still equal to 5. While this property is useful in some cases, it does not simplify the given problem.

4) The additive inverse property states that for every real number, there exists an equal and opposite number. For example, if you have 5, its additive inverse would be -5. This property also does not apply to the problem at hand.

Therefore, the correct answer for the property that allows you to use mental computation to simplify the problem 27 + 15 + 3 + 5 is not listed among the options. The simplest way to solve the problem mentally would be to add the numbers in groups. Start with 27 + 3, which equals 30, then add 15 to get 45, and finally add 5 to get the answer of 50. So the sum is 50.

I hope this explanation helps! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.