Bill utilized the commutative property.
Here's the step-by-step explanation:
1. The commutative property states that numbers can be added or multiplied in any order, and the result will remain the same. Mathematically, for addition, it can be expressed as:
[tex]\[
a + b = b + a
\][/tex]
Similarly, for multiplication:
[tex]\[
a \times b = b \times a
\][/tex]
2. In the context of Bill's problem, he had two options to add numbers: [tex]\(-5 + 3\)[/tex] and [tex]\(3 + (-5)\)[/tex].
3. Applying the commutative property to these expressions:
[tex]\[
-5 + 3 = 3 + (-5)
\][/tex]
4. Regardless of the order in which the numbers are added, the sum is the same because of the commutative property of addition.
Therefore, the property Bill used to find the actual December temperature is the commutative property.
