Explain how to use the distributive property to find an expression that is equivalent to 20 + 16.

What you need to do is to find a multiple of 20 and 16 in other words a number that can multiply into 20 and 16. You have 2 and you have 4. So now this is how it looks like.

Either:

4 (5+4) Or

2 (10+8)

2 (10 + 8) = 20 + 16