Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Practice Exam

The expanded form of the expression a(b+c) involves applying the distributive property, which states that when you multiply a term by a sum, you must multiply the term by each addend in the sum.

In this case, multiplying a by (b+c) means that you distribute a to both b and c. Therefore, you get:

- First, a multiplied by b, which gives you ab.

- Then, a multiplied by c, resulting in ac.

When you combine these two products, you arrive at the expression ab + ac. This clearly embodies the distributive property in action and is the correct expanded form of a(b+c).

Other options do not reflect this process or represent the same expression. The second option includes terms that arise from a different kind of distribution, while the third option suggests a factored expression rather than an expanded one. The fourth option is unrelated to multiplication or expansion in the context of this problem. Thus, ab + ac is the accurate and straightforward expanded form of the given expression.