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

The correct answer highlights the commutative property, which specifies that when adding two numbers, the order in which they are added does not change their sum. For instance, if you take the numbers 3 and 5, you can add them as 3 + 5 or as 5 + 3, and in both cases, the result will always be 8. This property is foundational in arithmetic and helps simplify calculations and understand number relationships.

The other properties listed refer to different aspects of addition. The associative property relates to how numbers are grouped in addition, showing that changing the grouping (e.g., (2 + 3) + 4 = 2 + (3 + 4)) does not affect the sum. The distributive property involves multiplying a number by a sum or difference, illustrating how multiplication distributes over addition or subtraction. Lastly, the identity property indicates that adding zero to any number leaves it unchanged, emphasizing the role of the number zero in addition.