Which equation demonstrates the additive identity property?

Which equation demonstrates the additive identity property?

• A. a + 0 = a
• B. a + 0 = 0
• C. a * 0 = a
• D. 0 - a = -a

Answer: (A)

Additive identity means there is a number that leaves any number unchanged when you add it. For addition, that number is zero. So when you see the equation a + 0 = a, it shows exactly that idea: adding zero to a doesn’t change a. That’s why zero is the additive identity element. The other forms aren’t about this property. Multiplying by zero always gives zero, which isn’t the original number, so it’s not the additive identity. And 0 − a equals −a, which is the additive inverse, not the identity.

Additive identity means there is a number that leaves any number unchanged when you add it. For addition, that number is zero. So when you see the equation a + 0 = a, it shows exactly that idea: adding zero to a doesn’t change a. That’s why zero is the additive identity element.

The other forms aren’t about this property. Multiplying by zero always gives zero, which isn’t the original number, so it’s not the additive identity. And 0 − a equals −a, which is the additive inverse, not the identity.