There are two really easy ways to solve this problem:
( 3 + 2 ) x 4
METHOD ONE: Add and Multiply - The most obvious thing you can do is add the
numbers in the parentheses and then multiply that sum by the number
following the multiplication sign.
( 3 + 2 ) x 4 =
5 x 4 = 20
METHOD TWO: Distributive Property - The distributive property says that we
can multiply first and then add, like this:
( 3 + 2 ) x 4 =
3 x 4 + 2 x 4 =
12 + 8 = 20
The fact that there are two ways to solve this problem which both work, is
actually kind of neat when you think about it.