Which expression exemplifies the additive identity?

The additive identity is defined as any number plus zero, which results in that same number. In other words, for any number ( a ), the equation ( a + 0 = a ) holds true.

The expression that best illustrates this concept is the one where the addition of zero does not change the value of the other terms being added. In option C, the equation shows that ( 5 + 2 - 0 ) is equal to ( 5 + 2 + 0 ). Here, subtracting zero from ( 5 + 2 ) or adding zero does not alter the sum, which reinforces the idea that zero is the additive identity. Both sides of the equation evaluate to the same total (7) because adding or subtracting zero has no effect.

The other expressions involve transformations but do not clearly represent the additive identity concept in a simple manner:

• The first mentions an equation using subtraction and sums but doesn't explicitly show the identity.

• The second also illustrates addition with zero but isn't formed as an equality across different expressions.

• The fourth shows a valid application of the additive identity but in a less illustrative way than option C, which directly compares two expressions demonstrating the identity principle.

Therefore, option C