Use the Associative property of addition to find the value of a variable
2 + (x + 1) = (2 + 3) + 1.

The given equation

2 + (x + 1) = (2 + 3) + 1

Associative property of addition

a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c

Now adding common terms on both sides

2 + (x + 1) = ( 2 + 3) + 1
x + 3 = 5 + 1

Now, to isolate x, we subtract 3 from both sides:

x + 3 - 3 = 6 - 3
x = 6 - 3
x = 3

So, the value of the variable x is 3.

This option might have been chosen if one mistakenly added all the numbers together without considering the associative property. However, the associative property allows us to regroup the numbers being added without changing the result

5

This option is incorrect. It seems to ignore the addition within the parentheses and only focuses on the 2 outside the parentheses

2

This is correct because x + 3 = 6, and by solving for x, we get x = 3

3

This option is incorrect. It’s unclear how it was derived from the equation, as there’s no obvious manipulation that leads to the number 4

4

Option

C

Can you summarize what you’ve understood in the above steps?