For any real numbers \(a\) and \(b\)
$$a \times b = b \times a$$
When we multiply two numbers, the order in which we multiply them has no effect on the final result, so the order is unimportant because the product will remain the same regardless of the order.
Let's go over a quick example to illustrate the concept of the Commutative Property of Multiplication.
Suppose we have the values for \(a\) and \(b\)
$$\displaylines{
a = 3 \cr
b = 9 \cr} $$
Let's plug them into the "formula":
$$a \times b = b \times a$$
We obtain
$$\displaylines{
3 \times 9 = 9 \times 3 \cr
27 = 27 \cr} $$
As you can see that interchanging the positions of the factors, \(3\) and \(9\), did not make any difference in the final result. The product remains the same which is \(27\).