Which mathematical operation is used to find the total of several numbers?

The correct answer is addition because this mathematical operation is specifically designed to combine two or more numbers into a total sum. When you add numbers together, you determine the overall amount or quantity represented by those numbers. For example, if you have the numbers 3, 4, and 5, adding them together (3 + 4 + 5) results in 12, which is the total of those numbers.

In contrast, subtraction is used to find the difference between numbers, multiplication combines numbers to produce a product, and division splits a number into equal parts or determines how many times one number is contained within another. Each of these operations serves a distinct purpose, but addition is the only one that specifically addresses the need to find a total.