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         The following set properties are given here in preparation for the properties for addition and multiplication in arithmetic. Note the close similarity between these properties and their corresponding properties for addition and multiplication.

Distributive Properties: The Distributive Property of Union over Intersection and the Distributive Property of Intersection over Union show two ways of finding results for certain problems mixing the set operations of union and intersection. 

General Property:   A (B  C) = (A B)  (A C) and A  (B C) = (A  B) (A  C)

Example: Let A = {a, n, t}, B = {t, a, p}, and C = {s, a, p}. Then

                 
A
(B  C) = {a, n, t} {a, p} = {p, a, n, t} = {p, a, n, t}  {p, a, n, t, s} = (A B)  (A C)

                  A
 (B C) = {a, n, t}  {t, a, p, s} = {a, t} = {a, t} {a} = (A  B) (A  C)