Definition
The associative property says that when you add or multiply three or more numbers, you can group them in any way and still get the same answer.
Imagine stacking three boxes of toys. No matter which two boxes you combine first, the total number of toys is always the same.
Examples
- (2 + 3) + 4 = 2 + (3 + 4) = 9.
- (2 x 3) x 5 = 2 x (3 x 5) = 30.
- (1 + 4) + 6 = 1 + (4 + 6) = 11.