Which property of addition states that the order of addition does not change the sum?

The property of addition that states the order of addition does not change the sum is indeed the commutative property. This principle asserts that when you add two or more numbers, the way in which those numbers are arranged does not impact the total. For example, if you have 3 + 5, it will yield the same result as 5 + 3, both equaling 8. This property is foundational in arithmetic and serves to simplify calculations, as it allows flexibility in number arrangement.

In contrast, the associative property relates to how numbers are grouped during addition. The identity property describes the concept that adding zero to any number does not change that number. The distributive property bridges addition and multiplication, illustrating how multiplication can be distributed over addition within an equation. Understanding these distinctions helps reinforce the foundational concepts of arithmetic operations.